The Later Ages
by CRYScrystalda
Summary: (Finished) The war is over . . . or so they thought. The story of Tuff's child, Magnum, and the battle that he fight for love and honor . . . RR!
1. Tuff's visit

(Author's note: It is I, now called Black_Pinion, at least for the moment, and also the author of "The Meta Journey Saga," now writing my second reflective fic. Tell me what you think.)  
  
I looked out upon the sea, at the time a dark crimson shade from the fast dying rays of the setting sun. I breathed in the salty air, savoring the brief comfort that the cool breeze offered me. I turned swiftly on hearing the stealthy approach of another. "Who goes there?" I called. I squinted hard, trying hard to discern a shape among the lively foliage of the beach. I made out a masculine form. Pretending not to notice he was there, I turned my back to him, and gazed into the now violet sky, still a rich red wine color on the horizon. I heard my stalker take a few more wary steps towards my position. Smiling, I bided my time. I waited until he was directly behind me. "Ha-HA!" He cried, confident he had taken me by surprise. I ducked and jumped, planting my feet firmly into my attacker's back. We rolled into the surf, laughing madly and wrestling like the children we once were. Wiping sand from his eyes, Tuff sat up. "How are ya, Kirby?" I Chuckled, and started to reply, but cringed from sudden pain. Tuff stood up and carried me back to a dry spot covered in soft moss. He looked suddenly full of remorse. "I shouldn't have done that." I waved a hand at him. "No, no, I'm glad you did. I was starting to think no one was willing to try things like that with me any more. I couldn't tell if it was from my age or the fact so many are reluctant to assault such a seasoned warrior such as myself." Tuff smiled, and did a perfect imitation of his sister. "You know, you should just grow up. You're to old to act that way!" I laughed and got back up, admiring with a sudden notice just how much my dear friend had changed over the years. He was now toned with muscle, and moved without any of his old childish randomness. Every action was graceful and precise, full of purpose. I'm sure he could see changes in me too. My battle scars were like tattoos, shining with the sea brine we had just come out of, bright against my dulled pink skin. Tuff sat next to me and leaned back on his heels. "So what have you been up to, you old food bag?" asked tuff, staring up at the blank sky, which was waiting for the last lingering light of day to leave, that it may show it's stars. I took of my wet cloak, and laid it to dry on a nearby bush. "Not much, to be truthful. Things have been peaceful since my battle days." Tuff nodded quietly. "Yeah, I haven't had much to do. Since Dedede passed away, there isn't really any one to bother except Tiff, but I don't really like traveling that far." That presented a new question to me. "What are you doing on this side of the country any how?" Tuff looked at me. "I was wondering," said slowly, a new look in my eye. "My wife. We're going to have a son soon." I was overjoyed. "A son! How wonderful! When is he due?" He Smiled slightly, and turned back to the sky, and pointed to the pale moon rising over the horizon. "The new moon of next month." I still bubbled with happiness. "I hope your going to ask me to come with you, that I may see this child?" His smile grew wider. "More than that. I want to name you god father to my son." I sucked in a delighted breath. "I would honored." "There is more. I want you to instruct him." I was confused. "Instruct him in what?" "Swords manship, fighting, hand to hand combat. what ever it takes to make him into a full fledged, fighting warrior." I went instantly from happy too solemn. "What do you mean by this? There should be no need to fight any more." Tuff also took on a more serious look. "As you know, the woman I love and married, Clariass, was once a seer. She has had troubling visions of late. I'm afraid that war is going to return to dreamland." I gritted my teeth and frowned. "Soon?" He looked slightly relieved. "No, not too soon. That's why I need you. We have many years. I know of other's that would gladly give their lives to have their children taught under you." I set my mind. I have nothing to lose, no one to leave behind. they may depend on me. "I'll do it." I murmured. Tuff looked pleased. "Thank you," he told me. "We must leave soon. is there any thing you need to bring with you?" I thought hard. "Meet me back here in half an hour. I will be ready to leave."  
I stood in front of Kabuu's altar. The blind, long silent being seemed to stir with some small memory. But there was nothing more. I entered the small, dark room beneath the giant altar, and bowed my head in reverent silence. Three majestic graves were spread before me. In the center, my deceased mentor, with his faithful companions and soldiers at his side. The life-sized statue of my teacher, Meta Knight, seemed to stare at me with it's inlaid golden eyes. His own mask was attached to the stone, cracked and covered in dust. I wiped the dust away, and pulled my hand back as I felt a sudden shock. A flood of memories. Then there was nothing else. I took it as a sign of encouragement from the dead warrior. Behind Meta Knight's tomb, laid a small stone receptacle. It seemed empty, but I knew this was a false bottom. With some effort, I pushed away the flat stone. I smiled in reminiscence. Inside was the still proud blade that Meta Knight had always carried with him, and my faintly glowing warpstar. I loosened my now dry cloak, and placed the bright sword into its sheath, and belted it around my waist. I also took my warpstar and deposited it into the soft leather pocket that was set on the belt. I replaced the stone bottom, and left the altar, ready to journey for the far away mountains in where Tuff and his wife lived.  
  
(From the author: don't expect this to be updated regularly. I have to work on several other things, including originals. Review this; send me your criticisms. I will greatly appreciate them. And read the Meta journey saga!)  
  
Tuff gazed solemnly at the dark eastern sky, where the sun would be rising in a few hours. Yawning, he pointed the way towards the mountains.  
"We need to make that point by night. My home is closer to the summit, but we'll sleep at the base of the mountain. It will take a whole day to reach my home from the base."  
  
Later on, in the mid day, we where just under half the length from the mountain. Tuff, who was used to walking, even running, many miles, was breathing steadily, but I had taken to a settled life, practically a hermit. I gasped for breath, as we had been trotting for several hours.  
  
Tuff rolled out a large canvas sheet from his travel pack, and sat down. "Come, take a seat. It is time to eat lunch." I gladly sat next to him, and collapsed back wards, struggling to breathe. Tuff patted my shoulder and easily lifted me into a sitting position. He laughed and started spreading out the lunch. "  
"Perhaps I'm pushing you too hard old timer?" I Laughed and wheezed from my soreness. "Not quite. You've got a long while before you push this 'old timer' too hard." He handed me a thick and meat filled sandwich. "We will rest after eating. It's always a bad idea to run on a full stomach." I took a hearty bite and agreed. "Indeed."  
We finished off the delicious spread of food and both lay back to nap. "Remind me to thank Claris for the wonderful food." Tuff laughed. "It is I you should thank! I prepare most of the food in our household when I am home. I made that entire meal." I patted my stomach. "Well, you did a fine job of it." I watched an aimless cloud drift across the sky and sighed. "It is unfortunate." I said aloud. Tuff rolled around to look at me. "What?" "This. All of it. We can lie here, unworried, and at full calm, in an open meadow. We have no one to fear, no enemies what so ever. And war will disrupt that all over again." Tuff rolled over again so that his face turned away from the sun. "Sleep. I will wake you when it is time." I chose to ignore his dodging of the subject. I undid my cloak and placed it on top of me like a blanket. The sheath of Meta Knight's sword rubbed softly against my skin. I remembered it and patted it lightly. "Thank you, sir Meta knight, where ever you now rest."  
  
Steel flashed like quicksilver under light, and there was a sound like thunder rolling through many valleys. Kirby spun and parried, nervous and excited. He felt a hot blade graze his side, and he dodged to avoid the second attack from his teacher. Kirby stopped, and panted. "Pui, poi oh, too, (pant) much." He pulled the blind fold off and sat down. Meta Knight stood over him. "You have done well for you first bind lesson. Your hearing has improved immensely: I almost felt as though you could still see me coming. But you leave your right side open too much." Kirby looked up into Meta Knight's bright golden eyes, eyes that were still smoldering with pride at his pupil's fast learning. Meta Knight wrapped his cape about him. "That will be all for today. I want you to rest, then practice your side sweep." He left Kirby in the dark courtyard, under the bright moon. Kirby looked up, and thought to himself: "It will be Meta Knight's birthday in a while. . . he was born in the dark of the moon."  
  
Tuff woke me and handed me my cloak, which I had thrown off in my sleep. "My, you've started snoring loudly. I was afraid that you were going to shatter my ear drums." I sat up and chuckled. "I'm nothing compared to your monstrous snores. You sound like a good sized earthquake at times!" We traveled quicker than before, now that the sky was moving steadily towards evening. I found that it was easier running this time, and caught up to Tuff. He turned to me, and smiled. "I see you've decided to keep up this time! I had to slow down to your pace. Do you mind if we speed up a bit?" I called to him, slightly breathless. "No, let's go faster!" Tuff laughed. "If you say so!" He sped his trot to a long striding run. I pushed myself harder to stay with him. "You can't shake me off that easy," I thought, and was soon back on his heels. Tuff laughed, still breathing easily. "At this pace, we'll easily reach the base before night fall. Let's go!" I tried to laugh with him, but couldn't. I decided to save my breath for running. Tuff was right. We reached the mountain base a few hours before the sun was going to set. I lay down on the course grass, and ran my hands through the rough ground. I remembered this place.  
  
"Block! NOW!" Kirby raised his wooden practice sword, and blocked on Meta Knight's command. Sword Knight did a downward stroke, and threatened to bash Kirby's head. Kirby swung about and did a perfect side sweep. CLONK! The two oak blades met with a loud dull sound. Meta Knight clapped. "Excellent work Kirby. You have improved your stroke wonderfully. Sword, thank you for assisting me with today's lesson. You may leave now." Kirby handed his sword to Blade Knight, who was waiting near by. Sword and Blade disappeared from view behind a large boulder, and left. Kirby looked up, and was suddenly amazed by the size of the mountain he found himself in front of. Meta Knight started to leave also, but turned to Kirby. A strange light simmered in his eyes. "It's almost funny Kirby. I too was trained always at the base of a mountain." and he was gone. Kirby sat slightly confused, and reviewed the night's training. "What mountain was he trained under?" wondered Kirby.  
  
I sat up, and wondered where Tuff had gone. He reappeared and presented a large bundle of dry grasses and twigs. He piled them up and got a small flame going. "Watch the fire. I'm going to get some real timber." He went down a small hill towards a group of small trees. I turned to the fire. Tuff's son was to be born in the dark of the moon. Meta Knight's birthday.. I imagined what he would look like. Tuff came back shortly, carrying an armful of split wood. He selected a quart and placed it in the flames. "What is your home like?" I asked him. He looked up into the darkening sky. "Nothing particularly special. it is just my home, where I live, and where I will raise my family." I understood. I myself had never really had any pride in my house. If I had, it might have not been full of Tikori's offspring to this day. I yawned and leaned against a hefty rock. "I'm going to get some sleep." I told Tuff. He nodded. "Good idea. It's going to be a hard climb to my home." And with that, we both laid down to sleep, peaceful and at ease. My muscles were still sore, but I would be able to hike up the mountain. "Good night." I whispered to Tuff, but he was already asleep. "Hmmm." he replied in his heavy slumber. And that was that for the night.  
  
(And so another chapter ends in the most annoying of possible ways! I would like more reviews please. PLEASE! DO YOU HEAR ME? Also, I wouldn't mind some emails. tell me if you have MSN messenger if you would like to talk to me. Thank you!) 


	2. The Story continues

Tuff gazed solemnly at the dark eastern sky, where the sun would be rising in a few hours. Yawning, he pointed the way towards the mountains. "We need to make that point by night. My home is closer to the summit, but we'll sleep at the base of the mountain. It will take a whole day to reach my home from the base."  
  
Later on, in the mid day, we where just under half the length from the mountain. Tuff, who was used to walking, even running, many miles, was breathing steadily, but I had taken to a settled life, practically a hermit. I gasped for breath, as we had been trotting for several hours.  
  
Tuff rolled out a large canvas sheet from his travel pack, and sat down. "Come, take a seat. It is time to eat lunch." I gladly sat next to him, and collapsed back wards, struggling to breathe. Tuff patted my shoulder and easily lifted me into a sitting position. He laughed and started spreading out the lunch. " "Perhaps I'm pushing you too hard old timer?" I Laughed and wheezed from my soreness. "Not quite. You've got a long while before you push this 'old timer' too hard." He handed me a thick and meat filled sandwich. "We will rest after eating. It's always a bad idea to run on a full stomach." I took a hearty bite and agreed. "Indeed." We finished off the delicious spread of food and both lay back to nap. "Remind me to thank Clariass for the wonderful food." Tuff laughed. "It is I you should thank! I prepare most of the food in our household when I am home. I made that entire meal." I patted my stomach. "Well, you did a fine job of it." I watched an aimless cloud drift across the sky and sighed. "It is unfortunate." I said aloud. Tuff rolled around to look at me. "What?" "This. All of it. We can lie here, unworried, and at full calm, in an open meadow. We have no one to fear, no enemies what so ever. And war will disrupt that all over again." Tuff rolled over again so that his face turned away from the sun. "Sleep. I will wake you when it is time." I chose to ignore his dodging of the subject. I undid my cloak and placed it on top of me like a blanket. The sheath of Meta Knight's sword rubbed softly against my skin. I remembered it and patted it lightly. "Thank you, sir Meta knight, where ever you now rest."  
  
Steel flashed like quicksilver under light, and there was a sound like thunder rolling through many valleys. Kirby spun and parried, nervous and excited. He felt a hot blade graze his side, and he dodged to avoid the second attack from his teacher. Kirby stopped, and panted. "Pui, poi oh, too, (pant) much." He pulled the blind fold off and sat down. Meta Knight stood over him. "You have done well for you first blind lesson. Your hearing has improved immensely: I almost felt as though you could still see me coming. But you leave your right side open too much." Kirby looked up into Meta Knight's bright golden eyes, eyes that were still smoldering with pride at his pupil's fast learning. Meta Knight wrapped his cape about him. "That will be all for today. I want you to rest, then practice your side sweep." He left Kirby in the dark courtyard, under the bright moon. Kirby looked up, and thought to himself: "It will be Meta Knight's birthday in a while. he was born in the dark of the moon."  
  
Tuff woke me and handed me my cloak, which I had thrown off in my sleep. "My, you've started snoring loudly. I was afraid that you were going to shatter my ear drums." I sat up and chuckled. "I'm nothing compared to your monstrous snores. You sound like a good sized earthquake at times!" We traveled quicker than before, now that the sky was moving steadily towards evening. I found that it was easier running this time, and caught up to Tuff. He turned to me, and smiled. "I see you've decided to keep up this time! I had to slow down to your pace. Do you mind if we speed up a bit?" I called to him, slightly breathless. "No, let's go faster!" Tuff laughed. "If you say so!" He sped his trot to a long striding run. I pushed myself harder to stay with him. "You can't shake me off that easy," I thought, and was soon back on his heels. Tuff laughed, still breathing easily. "At this pace, we'll easily reach the base before night fall. Let's go!" I tried to laugh with him, but couldn't. I decided to save my breath for running. Tuff was right. We reached the mountain base a few hours before the sun was going to set. I lay down on the course grass, and ran my hands through the rough ground. I remembered this place.  
  
"Block! NOW!" Kirby raised his wooden practice sword, and blocked on Meta Knight's command. Sword Knight did a downward stroke, and threatened to bash Kirby's head. Kirby swung about and did a perfect side sweep. CLONK! The two oak blades met with a loud dull sound. Meta Knight clapped. "Excellent work Kirby. You have improved your stroke wonderfully. Sword, thank you for assisting me with today's lesson. You may leave now." Kirby handed his sword to Blade Knight, who was waiting near by. Sword and Blade disappeared from view behind a large boulder, and left. Kirby looked up, and was suddenly amazed by the size of the mountain he found himself in front of. Meta Knight started to leave also, but turned to Kirby. A strange light simmered in his eyes. "It's almost funny Kirby. I too was trained always at the base of a mountain." and he was gone. Kirby sat slightly confused, and reviewed the night's training. "What mountain was he trained under?" wondered Kirby.  
  
I sat up, and wondered where Tuff had gone. He reappeared and presented a large bundle of dry grasses and twigs. He piled them up and got a small flame going. "Watch the fire. I'm going to get some real timber." He went down a small hill towards a group of small trees. I turned to the fire. Tuff's son was to be born in the dark of the moon. Meta Knight's birthday.. I imagined what he would look like. Tuff came back shortly, carrying an armful of split wood. He selected a quart and placed it in the flames. "What is your home like?" I asked him. He looked up into the darkening sky. "Nothing particularly special. it is just my home, where I live, and where I will raise my family." I understood. I myself had never really had any pride in my house. If I had, it might have not been full of Chikori's offspring to this day. I yawned and leaned against a hefty rock. "I'm going to get some sleep." I told Tuff. He nodded. "Good idea. It's going to be a hard climb to my home." And with that, we both laid down to sleep, peaceful and at ease. My muscles were still sore, but I would be able to hike up the mountain. "Good night." I whispered to Tuff, but he was already asleep. "Hmmm." he replied in his heavy slumber. And that was that for the night.  
  
(And so another chapter ends in the most annoying of possible ways! I would like more reviews please. PLEASE! DO YOU HEAR ME? Also, I wouldn't mind some emails. tell me if you have MSN messenger if you would like to talk to me. Thank you!) 


	3. The wolves?

I was awakened by the glaring sun, which had already risen over the mountains. I rubbed my eyes. I had been expecting Tuff to wake me up earlier, but here it was, already mid morning. "Tuff?" I called. At first, I wasn't worried. Tuff was strong. He could take care of himself. couldn't he? I got up, and was surprised by what I saw. The fire had burned low, but a spit had been set up. A pot that I surmised had been hanging from the spit laid on its side in the rocky dirt, spilling its contents every where. Now I was worried.  
  
"Tuff!" I called. "Where did you get to?" I noticed strange tracks on the ground. They were of canine origin, some sort of giant wolves, but they were so impossibly light that what ever made them couldn't have weighed more than a small dog.  
  
But that wasn't what I was looking for. I started towards some tall grass. I was rewarded with a small, weak groan. "Tuff!" I cried. I dived into the bushes. I was lost for words. Tuff laid in the grass, covered in blood, dirt, and bruises. His arm tilted up at an unnatural angle. It was undeniably broken. He sucked in a ragged breath, then coughed up a small amount of blood. "I think my lungs have been punctured." He gasped. I silenced him.  
  
"Save your breath." I whispered. I ran back to our small encampment. There I grabbed the canvas cloth Tuff had used for our picnic the day before, and some small sturdy twigs. I then dashed back.  
  
"Hold still. This isn't going to be pleasant." Tuff's arm was badly twisted about. By the looks of it, the bone was splintered in several places. Who ever had done this was strong, strong enough to crush solid bone. I lightly grasped his arm, and carefully began rearranging it. I heard his teeth grind as he tried to ignore the pain.  
  
While trying to be gentle with his injuries, I was looking Tuff over. He was practically mangled. Most of the blood was already crusted over. He had been attacked long before I awoke. "Who did this?" I wondered aloud, both in anger and disgust.  
  
Tuff again attempted to speak. "The wolves. eyes of light." I tried unsuccessfully tried to hush him. He struggled to sit up, but I held him down. "Stop moving!" I finally shouted. He continued to push against me. "Stop!" I yelled. I lunged forward, but over threw my weight and crushed his broken arm. He cried out in pain.  
  
"Now calm down!" I yelled. "I need to bind this before I can let you up." He held still long enough for me to tear some of the cloth, and make a sloppy cast. I bound up his forearm, where he was more seriously hurt, leaned back to admire my work.  
  
Tuff sat up and winced. "Well, what was all that about wolves with eyes of light?" I asked curiously. Tuff groaned and rubbed his head.  
  
"The things that attacked me. I went get more wood for the fire, and was getting some stew ready for an early breakfast. When I came back, I was ambushed. Some how, you failed to hear it all." He smiled weakly. "I remember, you slept through NME's first attack on Dreamland. Tiff had to wake you up."  
  
I smiled half heartedly at him. "Do you still need to rest, or can we start the climb?" Tuff coughed again. "The best thing you could cough do, is look for Samarra, the local doctor. She'll help us. She lives cough, hack not too far from here. You should find her at the edge of the woods."  
"SAMARRA!" I called. I cupped my hands around my mouth, and called louder. "SAMARRA!" I heard a slight ruffle in the thick brush of the woods. "Samarra?!" I cried. "Who calls me?" demanded a gruff feminine voice. "Kirby calls you! Help me save my friend!" A tall, strange looking woman emerged from the trees.  
  
She had large almond eyes, in both shape and color. Her hair was short and clipped back neatly, tied with a thick white ribbon that matched her clean dress.  
  
"Who are you?" She inquired. "I told you! I need assistance. My friend Tuff is dying, his lungs are punctured. Hurry!" "Tuff?" "Yes, Tuff! Now come on! We have to hurry!"  
  
I grabbed her hand, and started to tug. She was stronger than she looked. Swinging me up onto her thick shoulders, she shouted, "WHERE IS HE?"  
  
"He's at the base of the mountain!" In a flash, we were off. Samarra, it seemed, could run much faster than Tuff and me combined. A half-hour trip for me was cut down to 10 minutes.  
  
"Tuff!" shouted Samarra, yet again. Tuff was lying back against the thick grass I had left him in. Samarra dropped me suddenly: I rolled to the ground and hit the dirt. Samarra dashed to Tuff's side.  
  
"Who made this sling?" She asked me, gently touching the messy cast I made. "I did." I said quietly, suddenly embarrassed. She scowled.  
  
"You reset the bone okay," she said with a scolding look, "but you could have ripped a blood vessel, or done more serious damage with the rough job you did." I looked down, realizing she was right.  
  
"Tch, tch, tch." She muttered. "Some one did a number on him." I sighed and walked over. "And it's too bad too." "What?" I cried. "This is serious. After a while, he might become infected, he'll suffocate, or worse. I'm saying that's too bad because he has a son on the way, and I want him to be around to see him. I never want any of my friends to die, which I'm sure you can understand." I nodded.  
  
Later on, Samarra was crushing herbs along with many modern medicines, when I asked, "How do you know Tuff?" Samarra sighed and continued with her job while Tuff slept peacefully.  
  
"It was a long time ago. " She said. "I met him a few years back in the wispy woods while I was gathering medicinal plants, and we've been some what of friends ever since." I sighed and lay back on my folded cloak, and enjoyed the heat of the fire. Samarra had built it back up. I soon drifted off to sleep.  
  
CLANG! Kirby's whirling blade was quickly countered. "FASTER!" bellowed Meta Knight. "YOU HAVE TO BE FASTER!" Kirby swung furiously, whistling lethally as it cut through the mist, shining as it moved in the faint movement until its path left streaks of light behind, tracing every movement. The light from the sword he handled cut shapes in the very air, graceful arcs, circles, and stars. "MORE!" Shouted Meta Knight. Every vein on Kirby's body stood out, and sweat poured over his skin as he pushed himself past his limit. Meta Knight came out of the fog and jabbed, and was sent back by Kirby's amazing assault. Kirby gritted his teeth as he struggled to keep his strength.  
  
Meta Knight flew back at Kirby, and caught him with the flat of his blade. Meta Knight cried out to Kirby, "Ignore your hits! Keep going!" CLASH!  
  
Meta Knight and Kirby stood face to face, leaning in, swords entwined. "Try to force me back!" Whispered Meta Knight. Kirby pushed harder then cried out in pain. His arms were giving out, along with his strength. Meta Knight slowly pulled back.  
  
"You have done well," He proclaimed. "Your strength has well tripled, along with your endurance. Your technique, along with your speed and your passion have amazed me."  
  
Kirby was fast losing consciousness. He had over worked himself, but only needed to rest. He dropped his sword and sat down, filled with pride not only from his own knowledge of his improvements, but the sound of wonder and strange gratitude in Meta Knight's voice.  
  
"Rest," Meta Knight said. "And remember to protect your self. You use too much offense: Try to add defense to your technique too." Kirby would remember. "Good night." Murmured Kirby. Half awake, he began stumbling home. He turned around to say something, but Meta Knight had already disappeared, yet again.  
  
"WAKE UP, LAZY LEGS!" Screeched Samarra, but inches from my ear. "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" I yelled, and shot awake. "What time is it?" I asked somewhat angrily, digging into my ear, trying to stop the ringing. I looked about, and saw that it was still a few hours before midnight. "What are we doing?" Samarra scowled again. Was she always angry or worried?  
  
" We have to get Tuff up the mountain. If we wait for him to fully heal, he'll miss his son's birthing. We have to pack up now and start moving." I got to my feet and started putting away some of the things Tuff had put out before he had been attacked, even though there wasn't much.  
  
"Tuff!" I whispered. "Wake up!" Tuff groaned and opened an eye.  
  
"Hmm?" "We're moving you up the mountain. Samarra said that if we wait for you to heal up completely, you'd miss your son's birth. And she would have to leave you alone to help deliver the baby when the time came if we stayed down here, so we're packing up." Tuff began sitting up. "No, don't move." I whispered. "I don't want Samarra to know I woke you up. She might get mad." Tuff chuckled.  
  
"Now your scared of her? Trust me Kirby, she may seem gruff, but she only wants to help." I noticed that Tuff's voice was clearer. I asked him about it. "Samarra gave me some medicine. It made my chest feel better too. But I'm still so tired." "Your tired?" I laughed. "She woke me up hours ago!" Tuff laughed with me.  
  
"Well," He said, "I'm ready to move." His eyes suddenly got wide. "Oh no." I said and closed my eyes. "She's right behind me, isn't she?" "I SURELY AM!" She cried. "What's this, you're disturbing my patient, when he needs rest!?" I backed off slowly. "I just wanted to tell him we were moving!" I said nervously. Samarra seemed ready to scold me again but let her shoulders drop.  
  
"It's just as well." She murmured. "I probably would have awaken him while moving him." I sighed in relief. Samarra began unpacking some sort of hard square from her pack. When she unfolded it, it became stiff, like a giant cot. She care fully laid Tuff upon it, and tied the straps from it to her shoulders. She set herself on a nearby path up the mountain.  
  
"I want you to go ahead of me, and make sure the path is clear. I don't want Tuff to bounce his head on every twig and rock ahead of us." I obliged gladly. Our trip of the mountain was finally beginning. (Hi! What do you think? Tell me! And I just want to inform everyone that I might be moving soon. sob. So in a few weeks, my story may be quite prolonged. And don't worry! The Meta Journey Saga will be updated soon! Keep reading!) 


	4. The Birthing

YAAWWWNNN. Tuff stretched and sat up. I looked back over my shoulder at Samarra, who was still pulling strongly at the thick mat along with Tuff. She shooed me and told me to continue up the path.  
  
I jogged ahead for a little while, clearing the path as Samarra had told me to, while pondering how I would go about training Tuff's child. Meta Knight had worked long and hard with me, and pushed me to my limits. I had hated the pain. Could I stand forcing that on young children?  
  
But it was the best way to do it I countered myself. It produced a warrior that defeated NME, at least in a physical sense. But I wasn't about to think about that now. No.  
  
What I really wanted to know about were the wolves. Tuff said that wolves had attacked him. The paw prints in the dirt had been huge. At least 12" long. But they had been so faint that they couldn't have been fresher than several weeks. "But there were no other prints!" I cried in frustration. Unless.  
  
Wolfwrath. "No." I murmured. "No, he was huge. heavy. He would have left dark prints. no. he's dead!" I was so confused. Then what could have tried to attack him? I looked up suddenly, and saw a small building.  
  
How long had we been walking? The sun was going down. Then that had to be Tuff's house! I ran back down the path to tell Samarra. When she heard, she quickened her pace. We both hurtled up to the cottage. "Claris!" I called. Tuff's wife appeared in the window. "Kirby!" She called back. We met only once before, at the wedding, but she seemed to remember me. She saw Samarra coming up the path  
  
Claris came out, and I saw that she was definitely pregnant. "Samarra!' She called. "What are you doing here?" She said almost laughingly. Then she saw what Samarra was pulling. "No! Tuff, is he hurt?" She ran to Tuff's side, and with some trouble got down on her knees in the dry soil.  
  
"Honey, you shouldn't be kneeling in your condition," said Tuff. "MY condition?" She said scoldingly to him. "MY CONDITION? I let you wander off, down the mountain side, when you should be at home preparing for the birth, and you come back like this!" Samarra calmed her down.  
  
"Don't chide him miss. He's had a rough time. Leave him alone. Besides, you shouldn't work yourself up like that, especially while with child." Samarra nudged her to her feet. "I want you inside now." She commanded. "It's hot out here, and you need all the rest you can get to prepare for childbirth." Samarra gathered us all into the house. I found out then that Tuff wanted me to stay. It was going to be long wait until the birth.  
WAAAAHHHH!! WAHHHH!! Samarra bundled the small child up into a soft cloth, and handed him to Claris. Claris was breathing hard, face red and sweaty from exertion. She looked down on the fruit of her labors. "Hmm." she chuckled breathlessly.  
  
Claris had been struggling for hours with her pain, trying with every fiber of her being to safely deliver her son. She had succeeded. Tuff and Claris now had a healthy baby son. "What shall you name him?" Asked Samarra. There was a moment's hesitation. "Magonumous." The name sent shivers through me. Where had I heard it before? The small child turned to me, eyes blazing with a haunting, alien recognition. His eyes were gold. He didn't seem to really resemble neither Tuff nor Claris, as if he came from anywhere but his own parents. Who is this child? I wondered half out of wonder, half out of terror.  
  
The strange golden eyes gazed around the room, and focused out the window. Outside, the dark new moon made a spot of black starless sky. Magonumous' fixed his stare on the lightless fraction of night sky. I looked around. No one else had noticed the child's strangeness. Mayhap I imagined it?  
  
Claris settled back into her thick blankets, and began nursing. Both mother and child were soon asleep. Tuff sat on her bedside and looked lovingly on them. But even as Samarra began washing up, and cleaning the birth stained sheets, my disturbed feeling refused to leave. I would be spending several years with that child. the child that would perhaps become the hero and savior of dreamland, before the next war would end.  
(HA HA! I hope I have annoyed many by making this chapter extremely short. But tell me what you think! The next chapter will begin much farther into the future, in Magonumous' young life, in his training. Be prepared for some weirdness! Keep on reading and reviewing!) 


	5. The training

"Magonumous! Stop!" Magonumous' quivering blade stopped a hairbreadth from Triston's forehead. He turned to me.  
  
"Sorry." His disturbing eyes glinted in the mid day sun. He put down his sword and apologized to Triston. Triston nodded, swallowing nervously.  
  
"It's okay." Said Triston. On the sideline, several of the older children, both boys and girls, either smiled or laughed. Except for one. I noticed this and grimaced. Dimitri was the problem. The outcast. He often started fights with the older boys. Dimitri was the one who would not join in laughter, or smiling.  
  
While I thought, Magonumous walked over to me. He handed me his training sword, and whispered: " I told you, call me Magnum!" "Okay, Magnum." I whispered back.  
  
It had been several years. Magnum was now only nine now. By my species standards, I was still only some what of a teen, and in a few years, Magnum may gain a physical advantage on me.but I wasn't about to let Magnum and his fellow students know that.  
  
Tuff had been right. Many from all over dreamland eagerly brought their children to me when they found out what was going on. Many of the parents even helped to build a bunkhouse for the students. But Many things had happened since the forming of my class.  
  
Magnum was now a leader. Though he was by far the youngest, he handled swords the best. He was one of the few I let handle a real blade. He commanded respect.  
  
At first, the older children had picked on him, teased him. But amazingly (some how I didn't witness this occurrence) he put them all in their places. I learned later from one of the girls, Anastasia that he had fought them all. and proved to be stronger and more skilled than all of them.  
  
I was astonished by his composure. He had several friends out of the group, but only two that he constantly had with him. I watched tolerantly as he and Triston wrestled near by them. Their names were Garther, and Cinsta. I called Triston.  
  
"Triston! Go check on Claris!" He ran happily towards the mountain trail. Claris was making lunch. Magnum turned to me, his eerie eyes glowing. I was shocked. His likeness to Meta Knight was uncanny. It wasn't physical, but the way he held himself, the way he stood. Behind him, Garther and Cinsta completed the picture by standing faithfully by just as Sword Knight and Blade Knight once had. I mentally shook myself.  
  
"Dimitri!" I yelled. "Into the circle!" Dimitri swung his heavy oak practice sword over his shoulder and swaggered into the sparring circle. I looked around for a sparring partner. All around the area, I saw eager faces. Many wanted a shot at the stocky, confident, young Dimitri. The most urgent of all was Magnum. He and Dimitri had been rivals for the entire time of their acquaintance.  
  
But I couldn't let them fight. Not yet, anyway. "Goliath!" I chose. The hefty young man stood forward. I examined him. He was well muscled, and looked confident, but he was a newer student, and less experienced. It would be a good match. "Goliath, into the circle." Goliath lifted his pine staff, a long tree branch that took many of the other students to lift.  
  
Goliath walked into the circle, and stared down at his tiny opponent. "Are ye rea'y to figh' ye wee litt'l un?" He rumbled in his far northland accent. "Goliath, since your new, I'll tell you the rules that go along with the circle." Goliath turned an attentive ear to me. "One, if I say stop, you stop. Don't listen to anyone else. Two, you don't stop until I say stop, unless your opponent forfeits, or is knocked unconscious. Third, try your best not to draw blood. Your goal is to knock Dimitri to the ground. Lastly, have fun. Take this seriously, as it is training, but relax."  
  
Goliath nodded and turned back to Dimitri, and leveled his staff. Dimitri remained unworried. So much in fact, he closed his eyes and yawned. Goliath slammed his heavy staff with surprising speed, and missed. Dimitri had side stepped. Without pause, Goliath continued his strike by sweeping his staff along the ground. He was trying to trip Dimitri, and almost succeeded: but with an easy stroke, Dimitri blocked.  
  
I heard a few mildly impressed murmurs among the crowd of students. Dimitri's quivering wood-sword had stopped Goliath's attack, with its edge barley touching the ground. A small movement had stopped Goliath, but I could see the strain of pressure on Dimitri: he knew he was wasting energy by holding the attack at bay.  
  
Goliath did something surprising then. He pulled out, and with several small strikes, the staff flashed between Dimitri's ankles. Dimitri tried to over step the staff, but found it was already on his other side. He swung down with his sword, looking slightly more nervous, but still confidant. Goliath saw his chance.  
  
"Ha, ye litt'l brut'!" He shouted. He twirled his staff, and caused the other side of the long pole to come whipping around, angled at Dimitri's head. For a scarce moment, I thought the fight was over, but I was mistaken.  
  
Dimitri did a side flip. something I'd thought him incapable of, but he did it non-the less. As Dimitri spun horizontally through the air, Goliath's pole swung in the empty space over his opponent. His momentum carried him off balance, and Dimitri finally struck out. He landed first on his hands, and doubled over backwards. I knew what was coming. Dimitri had used this technique before. Dimitri's feet dug into Goliath's stomach, and pushed up and forward. Dimitri spun on his hands, and with a strong kick Sent Goliath hurling to the ground.  
  
There was a hushed silence in the air that bristled with a strange hum. No one cheered, as they usually did when a friend won, or the fight was good. Just an unsettling quiet. It seemed to me that Dimitri's victory some how infuriated the other children. like they hated him more for his success. I disrupted the stillness.  
  
I walked over, and clapped a dazed Goliath on the shoulder. "Good fight." I told him, and helped him to his feet. I wondered about Dimitri. He was advancing quickly. Soon, it would be time to pair him with Magnum. soon, but not today.  
  
Triston finally came, sliding/running down the mountain path. "LUNCH IS READY!" He shouted. I Clapped loudly and stopped the entire class from dashing in a wild stampede. "WALK! SINGLE FILE!" The entire group groaned, but followed orders. Dimitri turned and sneered at me. One day. I thought, I'm gonna put that kid in his place.  
  
In the bunkhouse that Tuff and I, along with a few fathers had constructed, we all sat down to lunch at the long-table. Claris sat few seats down from me; her light black hair tied up, with a few stray strands floating about her neck. She folded her hands and waited patiently. Tuff was the one we were all waiting for. He had gone out side with Magnum for "a moment" but still hadn't come back in.  
  
I leaned forward and glanced down the table. Garther and Cinsta were mumbling to themselves. I chuckled, hearing a few snips of their conversation. Anastasia, the girl that had informed me on Magnum's strange accomplishment, seemed to have taken a shine to Magnum. I wondered if Magnum felt the same way.  
  
Finally, Tuff and Magnum re-entered. Tuff looked pleased, and I almost fell off my chair with silent laughter at the way Magnum was walking: Full of pride, he entered the mess hall with his chest in the air and hands on his hips, with a rolling swagger. It took me a moment to realize why he would walk like that. He was sporting a new sword at his side, in a thick leather sheath.  
  
I saw that the other students were happy for him. No one usually got jealous, especially of gifts from another student's parents. It was one of the virtues that I taught. Magnum sat down between Garther and Cinsta, who admired his sword for a short moment, and waited for me to start the meal.  
  
I bowed my head, and clasped my hands, along with everyone else. I lead them in Grace. "Thank you for this food," all said in unison, "for the people who made them and the peace enough the eat without worry." Before I had even lifted my eyes, the children had already dug in. + + +  
  
I listened to the noises of the night, and began to finally feel drowsy. An odd feeling had been resting like a knot in my stomach, but it was going away. I rolled over, and stared out the window. Across the hall from my chamber, I could hear faint snores of the children, sleep talking, and chatting. perhaps, I thought, It is the children keeping me awake. I laughed quietly and began settling down. CLONK! I heard a muffled noise outside.  
  
I got up, and left the bunkhouse quietly. I kept the building to my back and my hand to my sword. Meta Knight's sword. and crept silently toward the noise that repeated itself. CLONK! I feared that it maybe one of the odd wolves Tuff had mentioned so long ago. we had seen the prints often, always soft, but there.  
  
I finally turned the corner. How? I wondered, because what I was seeing was impossible.  
  
(HAHAHAHAHAHA! I am so evil! YOU HAVE TO WAIT TO FIND OUT WHAT KIRBY WAS LOOKING AT! HA! AND HA AGAIN! But seriously, read and review! Tell me what you think!) 


	6. Begin the fight!

Magnum was flying. Well, floating, but it was non-the-less amazing. He hovered over the ground suspended in the air, at least three feet from the hard packed soil. I stood stock-still and remained Hidden in the shadows, anxious to see what he was doing.  
  
Magnum at first seemed to be perfectly silent, but I began to notice a strange whir. I peered closer, straining to see what he was doing, and almost gave my self away with a small, shocked gasp. The sword that Tuff had given Him was cutting through the air so fast it was hard to see. Backwards, forwards, over his shoulder and back again. And his Eyes were still closed. CLONK! There was the noise again!  
  
I noticed for the first time that Magnum was not the only thing flying. Large pieces of wood were hovering around him, and every so often would soar at him. The noise was the wood hitting his sword, Which seemed to seek the target without the guidance of his hands. The ground beneath him was littered with split wood.  
  
I was confused. What was happening? How.? I hadn't taught him this, and I knew for sure that Tuff was no great hand with a sword, and neither was Claris, or Samarra. Then who?  
  
Suddenly, Magnum's eyes opened. His eyes were completely gold now, no pupils, nothing. Blank gold. The sword stopped and hung quivering in the air. His entire body was covered in sweat, and he shook with exhaustion. He drifted slowly to the ground and sat down, closing his eyes. Behind him, I saw a dark shadow.  
  
I heard a faint voice, like whispered wind. It was so familiar to me. The shadow shifted, and golden eyes, brighter and wiser than those of Magnum's stared into my soul. There was a strangely out of place sound of a rustling cloak, and the shadow was gone. I shivered, and stepped forward to carry an unconscious Magnum back to the bunkhouse.  
  
+ + +  
  
The next morning, I rose tiredly from my bed. Many of the younger students I could hear were already up and about, chatting and what not. I stretched and felt my muscles awaken, a refreshing feeling tainted only by a slight pain across my chest. The war against NME had left its mark on me. I wondered for a moment. Will my students have to suffer the way so many of my friends did? And then I remembered Magnum. What was he doing?  
  
I entered the children's section of the bunkhouse, and told those who were up to rouse those who slept on. I checked a small clock on Triston's bedside. It was already 6:30, even though the children usually woke me at 5:00. Apparently, they had shut off my clock. But none of my students were that stealthy. But then who had shut off my alarm without my notice? I thought back for a moment on the shadow, and it's familiar golden eyes..  
  
The mountains were beginning to glow with the first rays of the sun showing over their peaks, and mist was starting to rise. The grass was still wet with dew. Today. I decided, remembering the incomprehensible speed at which Magnum's sword had flown. It had taken me years to gain that level, but here he was, nine years old, and he had nearly perfected his style. Today, I thought again, Magnum will finally face Dimitri.  
  
I gathered the students around the marked sparring circle, and made my announcement. "We will be doing some thing completely different today. I will choose two students who I feel have made tremendous progress, and they will spar using real weapons. Also, we will not be using the circle. No space limit, nor time limit. The first one to lose the ability, or will, to fight, is the loser. Other than that, the same rules apply."  
  
I saw intrigued faces and heard excited whispers all around the crowd of trainees. My eyes fell on Magnum. "MAGNUM!" I bellowed. "COME FORWARD!" Magnum walked proudly to my side, and waited stiffly to find out who his opponent would be. I spotted Anastasia, and saw that she was extremely excited. I moved on and glared upon Dimitri. "Dimitri!" I yelled. Dimitri rolled towards me with his characteristic swagger. Magnum didn't move, but seemed to be both pleased and angered at my decision. Dimitri seemed simply to be disgusted.  
  
"BACK UP!" I shouted to the remaining students. The circle quickly widened. "YOU MAY BEGIN!" I yelled. Dimitri and Magnum approached each other, and stood with swords ready. Magnum squared off his shoulders, and I noticed something odd. his eyes were changing..  
  
His pupils dilated, then shrunk until they seemed to disappear. He had plain, golden eyes.. Dimitri didn't seem to notice. I watched intrigued and now curious as to see what would happen. Magnum started.  
  
Magnum darted forth, and vanished just as he was about to collide with Dimitri. Dimitri took a confused step back, then moved forward a few quick paces and barely avoided an attack from behind. Without pause, Magnum moved again, this time to Dimitri's side. Dimitri sidestepped, and swung his sword low. Magnum countered, and forced Dimitri's sword back up so fast and hard, that the two interlocked blades quivered against Dimitri's cheek.  
  
Dimitri used his foot to trip up Magnum, then using the other one, spun around so that he gained a few inches of distance away from Magnum. Magnum overthrew his weight, and stumbled, much like Goliath had in his first match against Dimitri. Dimitri ducked down, and began his throw technique. I heard many students mumble disappointedly, as if they knew that Magnum was going to lose. Not yet..  
  
Magnum let him self be carried upwards, but turned his sheath and rolled. The hardened leather sheath dug into Dimitri's exposed stomach, and I heard Dimitri gasp. Dimitri collapsed, and Magnum smothered him for a moment until he was pushed off again. Magnum didn't stop for a second.  
  
Dimitri came at him again, and was apparently going to repeat his attack. At the last possible second he turned: and using his long blade, he vaulted with his feet slamming forward into Magnum's face. Magnum went down hard, with blood quickly soaking the sand around him. He was up again in a flash though, ignoring the crimson downpour rushing from his broken nose. He roared in anger, and was infuriated further by a quick, smug smile from Dimitri. I predicted the next series of events, seconds before they began.  
  
Magnum's sword began to flash, in the mystifying way that it had the night before. His eyes glowed a darker gold, more like bronze now, and the sword whistled dangerously through the air. The paths it cut shimmered behind it, and distorted Magnum's face. His eyes now burned with blue fire, and his face was torn with not a look of his own anger, but the anger of one much older, one who knew something about his current opponent that caused him to want to crush him. But something the rest of us knew nothing about.  
  
I saw Anastasia throw me a terrified look, as if to say please! Stop this! But it wasn't yet time. I turned to Dimitri who now wore a similar look of terror, but this one was laced with defeat, and a poisonous sort of hatred.  
  
Magnum charged forward, feet lifting from the ground, and assaulted Dimitri. His glowing eyes left comet tails in the air behind him, as he hacked and slashed with a fatal grace. "MAGNUM! STOP!" I Bellowed. The distorted face turned to me in a scant second, revealing something that flooded me with both horror and amazement. It wasn't Magnum. The new figure, the exquisitely deadly fighter, continued to move in on Dimitri. A sudden flash of lightning lit the area in violet hues, and stopped us all, even the not-Magnum, to stop in our tacks. The sky had visibly darkened, and billowing mist filled the area. I heard strange howls all around us, and horror filled me again.  
"Meta Knight! NO!" I screamed. I could barely make him out in the dark fog. Wolf wrath wrapped his jaws around him, and I cried out in anguish and fury. Lightning flashed again, and the battle continued. with everyone fighting for their lives and everyone but wolf wrath, NME, and myself oblivious to my former master's demise.  
  
Lightning flashed again, cutting a jagged path threw the now impossibly thick fog. I heard my students screaming in terror at something I couldn't see: but that something that was obviously attacking them. I heard huge, pounding paws approach me, but stop where I though Magnum and Dimitri were. "NOOOOOOOOO!!" I heard Dimitri cry. Then there was a horrific sound. the ripping of flesh, the sound of a sword flailing out. I heard one of the giant creatures howl in pain and fury. I heard Magnum roar in reply, a cry filled with battle rage, but in a voice that, again, was not his.  
  
I ran blindly through the fog, and could make out the hulking figure of a tremendous wolf. It turned to me and gazed with a terrifying sentience. It had eyes of (light. tuff murmured.)  
  
I continued to charge at it, but it shifted and vanished into the fog. I tripped and fell onto something warm, and unpleasantly limp. I tried to move but forced my arm deeper into the invisible thing on the ground. The fog had thickened to the point were I was practically blind, but the realization of what I had stumbled on dawned on me like a rogue wave, and I stopped breathing.  
  
(So how do you like that? Tell me. My reviews are getting old. TALK TO ME PLEASE! Before you read the next chapter though, I would like to warn you all that it is going to be gory. so those with weak constitutions, please leave the chapter alone! I gave you fair warning!) 


	7. The Real Battle Begins!

(Be warned that the upcoming scenes push the rating a bit, and are extremely gory. Thank you for reading The Later Ages.)  
  
The fog though still thick was beginning to lift. Even before it was clear enough to see through though, I shook with horror at what I knew I was lying upon. I struggled once more to remove myself from the warm heap, but stopped when I slid again, digging my arm further into it. The fog finnally cleared, and my revelation was proven true. Dimitri's eyes, though caked with blood and glazed over, stared up at me. Eyes that no longer held life.  
  
I pulled up my arm and pressed my free one against the corpse's chest. There was a sickening, sucking sound as my arm came out of a hole where Dimitri's heart had once beaten. I felt I would never get the sensation of fresh blood off of my arm. As I rose, I saw that I had only fallen upon part of Dimitri. His head and torso, to be exact. An arm lay off to the side, pointing grotesquely towards a still Magnum. My mind, wrapped in this strange horror, was beyond shock. Times like these had come so often when I had fought NME. Magnum could very well be dead.  
  
I stood and took off my cloak, and wiped my arm, along with my chest and cheek, which had also been covered in blood from being tangled in the mangled corpse. I walked icily calm to Magnum, who, thank goodness, wasn't dead. But I would have to get Samarra. Magnum was going into shock. He shook uncontrollably, his eyes wide and staring. Staring, though seeing nothing. "It was me." he whispered in a voice so filled with dread and guilt, so quiet and horrified, that it pulled me from my stupor.  
  
"He left me. It was me that pushed Dimitri. The wolf wouldn't touch me, no, why would it? It knew who it, he, I, was. The shadows, the one with eyes like me, and the one with the eyes like fire. WHY WON'T THEY LEAVE ME ALONE?!?!?" His scream was so sudden, that I fell back, but I pounced forward again and held him down as he began to convulse and rock, going into a seizure like throws of pain. His eyes flashed black, like holes. holes in a mask.  
  
"NOOOO!" I screamed again. Wolf wrath slammed his jaws shut, and howled with his still unsatisfied hunger. Blood dripped over his jowls. I turned and saw a glint of silver on the ground. Meta Knight's mask.  
  
Dark, ominous laughter ripped from Magnum's throat, blasting me with visions of death, and blood. fallen comrades. I suddenly noticed a confused and terrified student getting up. "GET SAMARRA!" I bellowed. "NOW! GO!" Startled into action, the confused child ran towards the path.  
  
Magnum changed again, and I stared in agony and sorrow at his contorted face as I heard the next voice. "Let him go!" The voice echoed. "NO!" I shouted. "YOUR DEAD!" "You beast!" Meta Knight's voice roared. For a strange and confused moment, I thought that he was speaking to me. "You'll kill him! He can't hold either of us like this much longer!" "THEN LET HIM DIE!" The voice of NME screamed. "ONE LESS STOP IN MY INEVITABLE PATH OF CONQUEST! AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Magnum flew from beneath my grip and lifted quickly into the air. I turned away from the sudden blaze of light that suddenly radiated from Magnum's Body. When I jerked, I saw Samarra running down the mountain, followed by a bewildered looking Tuff and Claris. All of them cried in horror at the twisting Figure of Magnum writhing in pain, while a hellish mix of screams and roars tore the air around him. NME and Meta Knight were fighting for his body and soul. There was a final, ethereal scream, but from whom it came, I never knew. I was hit by a sudden shock wave as a bizarre explosion soared over the clearing. I lost consciousness, wondering in a red haze, about what was going on, and the safety of my students.  
  
+ + +  
  
"Kirby, awaken. You've slept in far too long." I refused to open my eyes, and disturbing the dream in which I was in. in the dream, Meta Knight was standing over me, but it wasn't him. Really it was Magnum, but it was Meta Knight non the less. "Kirby, I know you're awake. Rise, before I force you to." I finnally opened my eyes. "NO!" I cried, I shoved back and was rewarded with a sound bash on the head from the wooden headboard over my bed. Meta Knight was indeed standing over me, but he seemed so old, so, so, not real. as if he wasn't truly there. But he was. My master was once again alive.  
  
He gazed down at me, the scars he had worn to his death no longer there. I looked down and saw that he had reclaimed his sword. "Kirby," he said quietly, drawing my gaze back to his face. "Listen to me. Magnum is gone." My mind reeled. "HE'S DEAD?!" I cried. Meta Knight grabbed my hand. "No, sorry. I meant not to shock you. NME has taken him.."  
  
I stared mouth agape. "But I killed him!" I roared. "I finished him years ago!" I stared into my resurrected master's eyes, and saw that it was true. The force that had brought him back to living flesh had done the same to NME. But how?  
  
Meta Knight saw the question in my eyes. "Magnum was a special child." He whispered to me. "His birth was planned. Neither Tuff nor Claris knew the part they played. I could do nothing from the other side, for while I was dead, I could not rest. but I could not interfere with Magnum. At least not until he became aware of my presence." I waited anxiously for him to continue. "Magnum was to carry NME's essence until NME could resurrect himself. NME planted his back up plan inside of Tuff, when he was still fighting in the war. When Magnum was conceived, he bore inside of him NME's soul. NME didn't realize that this would expose Magonumous to other things, powers he shouldn't have, and an awareness of spirits. When Tuff started to see me, he refused to believe I was real. I had to contact him while he slept."  
  
I began to under stand. When NME had brought himself back to living in the giant flash of energy, he had unwittingly brought with him Meta Knight with him who had entered Magnum's body in an attempt to save him.  
  
"Where is NME now?" I asked quietly. I was still shaking. "Where else?" Muttered Meta Knight, with his voice tired, and full of loathing. "Not. no, not the castle? But it was torn down, destroyed when the war ended." Meta Knight patiently explained. "If NME can resurrect himself, along with his hordes of beasts, then do you not think he can rebuild a castle?" I shivered. "I must leave now." He told me. "Rest. Tuff and Claris need to know what is going on." He left silently, and closed the door behind him.  
  
I laid back and began to cry, from the shock, fury, and sorrow that swept through me.  
  
"He left me. It was me that pushed Dimitri. The wolf wouldn't touch me, no, why would it? It knew who it, he, I, was."  
  
I remembered Magnum's words. The wolves. possibly wolf wrath? Brought again to life? But there were so many of them. and they were so much bigger. why wouldn't it approach Magnum? My inner reasoning answered me. Would a faithful dog attack its master? The wolf had sensed NME.  
  
One question remained. What had been that look of hate, of loathing that Magnum had given Dimitri during their first, and final, fight? "No, not Magnum," I yawned. "Meta Knight. but even then, what had it been?" I began to sleep again.  
  
"STOOOOOPPP IIIITTTTT!!!! YOUR HURTING MEEEE!!" I opened my eyes. not my real ones, but ones inside of a dream. No. a vision. This was really happening. Fire surrounded me, and I looked up, and cried out with anger. Magnum was hung pitifully defenseless high above the flames. NME sat on his ebony throne, and laughed monstrously. Beneath Magnum, leaping out of the flames, were a few of the wolves. I realized that they were some strange mixes of both Wolf Wrath, and Cracko. Light as clouds, but deadly, unstoppable.And much, much, bigger. They were hideous creatures. hungry animals that leapt again and again at the suspended Magnum, tearing at his legs: the latter of things were in bloody tatters. Magnum would likely never walk again.  
  
I watched full of anger, and shouted aloud. "STOP THIS!" NME didn't hear me. Come to think of it, neither did I. My voice was silenced. This was simply a vision. I couldn't change what was happening. Or so I thought.  
  
NME looked at me. Not through me, as if to speak to some one else in the vision behind me, but AT me. His eyes widened in surprise. "YOU!" He shouted. He soared at me, hands out stretched. When he moved, I was shocked and horrified. Inlaid like a living jewel in the back of NME's throne, was Meta Knight. He floated in a crystalline liquid, eyes closed as if he was simply sleeping. This Meta Knight was scarred. Suddenly, his eyes opened. From all the way across the chamber, his eyes pierced through the wavering air to mine. His voice echoed in my head. "HES FALSE! WATCH FOR THE IMPOSTER!" He cried. "HES NOT ME!" NME closed in on me, his giant hands closing around me.  
  
(Again, I must be horribly cruel, and end the chapter just as it was getting juicy. Too bad for you! Now you must wait. AGAIN! But worry not, my faithful readers. I will have the next chapter soon. So stay tuned! More will be explained in the next chapter, and an imposter will be revealed. Hmm. *said sarcastically* I wonder who it could be? Any way read on! AND THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING MY MOST FAITHFUL FANS! You know who you are. ) 


	8. Waking to a new Nightmare and finding ho...

(Howdy boys and girls! Let's get this show on the road! Be prepared to be even more confused then you were in the last chapter, as Kirby wakes up, and faces the new Meta Knight!)  
  
I struggled in NME's grip. "LET GO OF HIM!" I shouted, thrusting towards Magnum. NME my struggle silently, with a look on his face as if he was considering throwing me into the flames. Suddenly, I fell through his fingers. His eyes widened, and I looked down at my self in surprise. I was disappearing! A bright rush of flame engulfed me, and I cried out.  
  
My true eyes opened, and I rolled over in time enough to dodge Meta Knight's sword. It sank deep into my pillow, causing goose down to float into the air. "Hey!" I shouted in a bewildered voice. I looked around for the owner of the sword. Meta Knight was no where to be seen. I grabbed his sword and angrily stormed from the room, furious for this flagrant attempt on my life. Before leaving, I checked in on the students. He wasn't in the dorms, but a sleeping Samarra was. The students were also asleep; many of them covered heavily in bandages. I left quickly and continued my search.  
  
I ran outside and looked about the training area were the attack had taken place. No one was there, but for hundreds of wolf prints and the smell of mass amounts of drying blood . . . and of course, Dimitri's corpse. No one had moved or covered it yet. I ran on towards Tuff and Claris' home. I stopped, realizing suddenly the many possible things my dream could have been. A nightmare sent by NME himself to confuse me, and cause me to kill the real Meta Knight . . . or a vision warning me of a real threat in my midst . . . . Or even just a dream. But what of the sword that had almost impaled me? It didn't fly to my room by it's self, and then try to kill my also. And along with this, that 'look' that Meta Knight had given Dimitri in the fight still lingered with me . . . . What had THAT been? But I didn't want to seem foolish if the vision really was just a dream, so I slowed down and walked in.  
  
Sitting at the table, was Tuff and 'Meta Knight.' It seemed they had just finished a long talk. "Meta Knight, your sword . . ." He looked at the sword I held with surprise, then slapped his hand to his sheath as if to check it was really empty. It was. "How did you get that from me?" He said confusedly. I warily shuffled forward and handed it to him. "Sir," I said slowly. "I just had a strange dream, like a vision, you could say . . . in the dream, a second Meta Knight called you an imposter . . ."  
  
The Meta Knight at the table said nothing, but I noticed with interest the way his eyes flashed when I said 'imposter.' "A lie." He said frankly, and continued. "A poisoned dream, probably sent to you by NME, to stir you. Forget it." He calmly sipped what appeared to be a cup of tea. I sat down next to Tuff, and thought things over. So many possibilities . . . One, the Meta Knight in front of me was a fake. Two, it really was just a dream. Three, if the dream was a lie, then maybe Magnum wasn't really being killed slowly and painfully. Four, the real Meta Knight was in front of me, and the one in the dream was fake made to confuse me. My mind spun in confusion and anxiety.  
  
The Meta Knight across the table stared in a look of worry that I could tell was real. But what was he worried for? Me? Magnum? Or that I had found him to be a fake? I stared back, and wondered suddenly were Claris was. I asked Tuff.  
  
"She had to lay down. She said it was too much for one sitting." I could sympathize. Even though I had known Meta Knight for many years, and had been in the center of the war with NME, I was still baffled by everything that was happening.  
  
I walked down the hall to Claris and Tuff's room. I opened the door, to find much to my surprise that she wasn't laying down. Rather, she was packing a large case with clothing. She was getting ready to run. "What are you doing?!" I asked in shock. She turned to me with wide, frightened eyes. They were the eyes of a trapped or injured animal.  
  
"I don't know who 'Meta Knight' is, or who he was to you, but there's something wrong with that man. I'm leaving, and taking Tuff with me," She muttered strangely. She crossed the room and took my hand. "Kirby, I trust your decisions, and your actions. You've been a friend to me for many a year, and even raised my son." A tear came to her eye at the mention of Magnum. "So please Kirby, trust MY decision to stay away from Meta Knight. Stay away from that him. That, that, Meta Knight . . ." her eyes suddenly glazed over, and she seemed to be looking at an image far away. " . . . He'll end up killing you." She whispered. She finished packing her bag, and stowed it under the bed. "I'm leaving tonight. You'll do the same, unless you would rather stay and fight, or, just, I don't know. But I've got one last thing to ask of you." I waited patiently.  
  
"I heard you talking. I too had a dream. Magnum is going to die, and soon. But I've been wrong before. You can change the out come of my vision, because it's only the most likely of SEVERAL possible futures. So please, PLEASE, save my son!" She cried openly now. "But do what you must to stay alive. I have to get ready now . . ." I left the room, with many of my current worries and confusion fleeing. Claris was a seer, if not one that had been inactive in her abilities for many years. But she had never been wrong where her judgment was concerned. I trusted her completely. The Meta Knight out there was a fake. I had to confront him.  
  
I closed the door and was taken by surprise by 'Meta Knight's' eyes, glowing a dark, ominous green. I noticed quickly the way that his hand stayed firmly on the hilt of his sword. I yearned for a weapon right then . . . something with which to defend myself. But I had nothing but my faded powers. These I had not used in so long, that I wasn't sure that I could still use them to fight. But it didn't matter. Here I couldn't use them. The Meta Knight standing in front of me moved forward, totally silent and menacing. I wondered what he was doing, and realized that he meant to fight and finish me: right there and then. I remembered something vital at that moment, as 'Meta Knight' stalked toward me: My star. MY WARPSTAR! It was in a pouch in the shoulder strap I wore belted around me! I scrabbled to undo the fastenings of the pouch.  
  
Meta Knight suddenly ran forward, and dug his sword into my side. I gasped and stopped my search for a moment as blood began to rush from my side. I looked into Meta Knight's eyes, and saw something strange about his eyes. In the centers, were deep, watery, looking slits. I stared deeper into these hair thin pupils, and my body numbed. I felt nothing as Meta Knight twisted the sword. I began to fall into the darkness of these pupils, drowning in the blackness. It really wasn't Meta Knight. I didn't even feel it as I hit the floor, nor as Meta Knight pulled out his sword. I looked up and watched as in the dark hallway, those slim pupils widened. I was looking into the eyes of a beast. It was the last thing I saw then.  
I awoke and screamed in sudden pain. My side throbbed, and I looked down. My cloak had stiffened with the hardened blood, though I spotted a small spot of wetness from my fresh losses. I looked back up wincing with the poisoned fire racing through my side and recognized my surroundings. The castle. But where were the flames? The wolves? A smoldering chain tied me myself to a charred and blackened wall. The entire room smelled of sulfur. But that was all that seemed the same from my dream. I remembered the life capsule in NME's throne. The true Meta Knight. I Stumbled to my feet and gasped with more pain, and snapped the rotten, useless chain around my leg. I staggered forward. The capsule in the back of the throne was shattered. Glass was strewn across the floor. Meta Knight had gotten out. I looked up; expecting to see Magnum's torn body. Empty chains and tethers hung from the ceiling, and shook at me like furious snakes. But no Magnum. I continued on, and ventured down the west hallway. I fell over, and recognized a blackened doorway. Meta Knight's chambers of old. I laughed without the feeling and wondered why NME would bother to recreate that detail of the castle. I tried to get up and couldn't find the energy, and so crawled on.  
  
At the end of the hall, the dead end wall had been torn down. Through the gaping hole, I could see the last rays of the sun. Silhouetted against this faint light were three figures: The two Meta Knights, and Magnum. The latter was laying still and torn, half hanging out of the giant hole. The two Meta knights faced each other, weaponless, menacingly. I tried to focus on them, but the edges of my vision were beginning to cloud. I felt my heart slowing, but I tried harder to stay awake. Some thing important was about to happen . . . .  
  
(It's getting awful strange, isn't it? Wait until you read the next part! Cappy town is going to receive some special visitors soon too. . . helpers that are out of this world. Keep reading to find out who they are! NOTE: So that you don't get TOO confused, let me explain. . . Several thousand years ago, when Meta Knight traversed the universe in search of Kirby, he encountered Sgt. Cosmo when looking for a new ship. They discussed the disbanded star federation. . . and after Meta Knight left, he had no idea what a strong impression he had left on Cosmo. Cosmo spread the word, and his own star federation II started. . . Even when he disappeared and crash landed on his own island, the second federation continued to grow in force and number. . . read and be amazed!) 


	9. The passing of a legend: the new legacy ...

"Who are you?" shouted Meta Knight. The false Meta Knight whom had given me my death-wound laughed uproariously . . . The same high, lilting laughter of NME himself. "I'm you, of course! I'm taking the place you refused to accept . . . The leader of NME's new army!" His laughter rang in my battered head, pounding my mind like thunder. He seemed to take notice of me, but he made no sign that he cared. I wondered again what his look for Dimitri was. He knew what I thought. "You fool." He muttered. I assumed he was talking to me. "I looked at him like that because he was a threat to my power!" After this announcement, he turned back to the true Meta Knight.  
  
I forced my self through my agony to the wall on my left, and began crawling ignored in the dark to Magnum's side. Magnum's breath was quiet but heavy. . . it was moist and ragged, as if he was torn up inside: and I could only faintly hear his heart, which was beating unevenly. I rolled over so that I was lying by his side. "Magnum. . . " I whispered. I heard no response. "Magnum. . ." I clutched his hand. "Magnum, wake up, this is important. . ." I heard a small groan of pain, and I felt Magnum's awareness reach out to me.  
  
"Master Kirby?" He croaked out. He coughed and a small mist of blood from his innards rained down on me. "Magnum, I'm dying. . ." I whispered. He gave a colorless chuckle. "Join the club." He replied. "No, Magnum" I said with a sudden vehemence, like I had caught him doing something wrong. I felt his confusion, and softened my tone. "You're going to live." I told him.  
  
"How do you know?" He murmured. "I'm giving you my life." I felt a jolt of shock and pain in his mind, and pondered if Meta Knight had shared a strong mental connection with me like this in the moments before his death in the war so long ago. "What do you mean?" he choked. I dug into my blood-crusted shoulder strap and pulled out my dimming Warp Star. "See this?" I asked quietly, and held it over his face, my arm shivering with strain. "What is it?" He asked confusedly. I could under stand if he wasn't impressed. Compared to it's once brilliant light, it was practically dead. . . Like me. It's light flickered. "My Warp Star." I told him. "It's light represents my life, my power. As I am dying, it to fades. . . but I'm passing it to you. Using what is left of my life force, it will heal you, renew you. You will come to understand how it's other powers work on your own. . . You have the spirit required to be a true Star Warrior." I pressed it into his hand. He shoved it back.  
  
"But you'll die!" He cried softly. He coughed again, and I absorbed the pain that streaked like poison through his chest. "But you need to live." I replied. "I've fought my part in the war. It's your turn. I can guarantee that you will suffer for your part, but you may end up saving what is left of Popstar. . . your going to continue a legacy of death and freedom, and I'm sorry to say that your chapter will be written in blood. But you need to understand. . . with out you, millions will die."  
  
I pushed it back into his hand, and this time he accepted it. "I'll miss you. . .," He said quietly. "Remember, you may be the last hope. . . Never give up. If you die, it's all over. But you'll know when to pass the star on." I turned back to the strangely still Meta Knights, and wondered why they were both staring out of the hole into the night sky. In the corner of my eye, I saw a flash as the Warp Star's light returned at full force. I felt a tug at the remaining energy in my body, and I let go of it. I sighed silently and drifted up with the wind. Looking down, I saw Magnum sitting up, holding what looked like a small sun in his tear-wetted hands. Next to him was a dark, still form that I knew was the body I left behind. I flew into the sky; all conscious thought beginning to drain away. I felt something coming, And wasn't sure of what it was, but I had a feeling that I knew what it was. I heard its name, and didn't quite understand it. 'Federation II'. It didn't mean any thing to me at first, but by the time I understood, it didn't matter. I was gone. . . and I no longer had a part in this fight. I had finally died, and a new legacy was starting.  
  
(I'm sorry that chapter was so short, but I would like to end it here for a moment of reverent silence in honor of the late Star Warrior, Kirby. I give many thanks to those who will proceed to join me in this moment of remembrance. Also, heads up on the next chapter; Magnum is going to undergo some serious changes . . . and so are his friends. And what part is the real Meta Knight going to play in the growing battle? Also, Tiff will be joining the scene! Please review and NO FLAMES PLEASE! It was file Case CRSYTALDA/#17104's Idea to kill off Kirby. I was going to give him a quiet death. . . ) 


	10. More Changes Made

(warning, this chapter severely pushes the rating. If you don't like gore and violence, you'll be missing stuff, but if I were you . . . I wouldn't read this. Or at least the last half. . .)  
  
I felt him slip away, and almost wanted to go with him. . . but Kirby's words still echoed in my mind. I clenched my warpstar tightly in my fist, and felt the force of my former teacher's life energy flow into me. I looked down at my horrifically mutilated legs, and saw the skin patch and a little of the blood crumble and crack away. My legs were no more than stubs, ending just above where my knees once were. I wiped away the tears that had been streaming in torrents down my face, realizing my pain was gone.  
  
I looked over at the strange men, both dark blue and very old. One name for both came to me: "Meta Knight." I knew not what it meant, nor did the name reveal anything else about them. But now, both of the sinewy fighters squared off again, fists raised to do battle, eyes glowing ferociously. Half of me wanted to stay and learn more, but the other half of me (the half that now seemed to be saturated with another, friendly, consciousness) didn't want to be there when those two really started going at it. I moved so that I was directly on the edge of the hole blown in the wall, and peered over the edge. "Too long of a drop. . . how am I supposed to get out of here?" I whispered. I looked up, and saw something strange against the moon. A shadow?  
  
It was like a giant bird, but no bird, not even the Dyna-blade, was this big. As it got closer, I saw that there were lights coming from beneath it. It was a ship! I peered hard into the night to see its name, but could only make out the numeral II. "Something 2 . . ." I murmured. I was confused, but I stopped thinking about it. It seemed to be heading in the opposite direction now, and the two Meta Knights were starting exchange blows. Light filled the cavernous hall with each power filled hit. Suddenly, the ship veered around and came cruising back to my position. Bright, artificial light rained down on the three of a booming voice and us blasted us from the ship. "INHABITANTS OF DREAM LAND!" It roared. "WE ARE FORCE THREE OF THE STAR FEDERATION II! PLEASE DIRECT US TO. . . DEAR GOD!" It's commanding tone suddenly changed, as if the speaker was just noticing something.  
  
"Is that Meta Knight? THE Meta Knight?" The voice inquired. Though still loud, without the speakers, the voice would have been an awed whisper. Meta Knight (the original, I assumed) looked up, seemingly confused and amazed. The other Meta Knight saw his distraction, and attacked. The voice spoke again. "I'M GOING TO LAND THE SHIP! STOP THE FIGHT, WE'LL BE THERE IN SECONDS!" And it was true. I shoved my self against the wall to the left of the giant hole, and the ship landed several stories down beneath me. I heard several metallic clanks as uncountable numbers of grappling hooks pierced the ledge where I had been perched not moments before. I watched in a numb sort of fright. Creatures I had never seen before, all of them heavily pierced or tattooed were flooding in through the hole.  
  
The two Meta Knights stopped their warring long enough to look around at the rugged yet strong crowd that now surrounded us all. One of them stepped forward, and I recognized his voice immediately as the speaker. "Uh. . ." He said uncertainly. "Which of you is the true Meta Knight?" Both shouted out: "I AM!" They began fighting again, and I forgot which one was the imposter whom had shouted of his servitude to NME.  
  
"AARRGGHH!" Shouted the speaker. "Stop it!" He yelled frustrated. "Until you two calm down, and stop this, you're going with Brutus!" He pointed to an unpleasant looking man standing nearby, who was several times my own height, and had bone piercings across his face.  
  
For a moment, both Meta Knights were stock still. . . But in a flash, both of them had disappeared into the shadows. The leader sent a few men to search for them. I cleared my throat, surprising several of those standing near me. Brutus gazed over in my direction, and chuckled at my suddenly terrified look. He spoke with a heavy accent. It reminded me much of Goliath: in fact, I'm sure he could have passed for Goliath's long dead father.  
  
"Don' ye worry yer wee 'ead over me, I wouldn' 'urt ye." The leader laughed along with him, but was silenced suddenly when he noticed Kirby's remains near me. The crowd of warriors parted so that he could approach me.  
  
He squatted down to stare into my face. "Your name and reason for being in this fortress." He asked frankly. I answered quickly. "My name is Magnum. I was taken here by NME to be tortured as a spite to Kirby."  
  
I heard a few whispers amongst the group. Several of them, it seemed, recognized the name of my former Master. Each whispered voice dripped with respect. "Who is Kirby?" He asked. I pointed to my former teacher's stiffening corpse. He examined the body.  
  
"Hmm. . . So this is Kirby. Brutus, come here." The frightening giant lumbered over with surprising speed. "I want you to take this body to the infirmary until it can be prepared for a proper burial." Brutus lifted Kirby and slung him over his shoulder. I cried out before I could stop myself.  
  
"What is it?" The leader asked. "It's just . . ." I whispered. ". . . He gave his life for me. Do you think I could come with you, maybe help out?" The leader put a heavy hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, but I don't think you'd be able to do much. You'll just get in the way." My shoulders drooped. He looked down, and saw my legs. It was difficult to see that they were almost completely healed due to the fact that they were still covered in blood. I suppose he thought I was still hurt.  
  
". . .But you know what," he told me, "We here have a crack team of surgeons, technicians, and engineers. To make it up to you, what say we give you a new pair of legs?" I looked up at him, still unsure if I should trust him. I still had no idea who these people were. He saw my uncertainty in my eyes. "It's OK," he told me. "We're here to help!" I decided he was OK. Brutus disappeared over the edge of the hole, with Kirby over his shoulder. The leader, though not much taller than me, picked me up easily. He was careful not to touch my legs.  
  
I held onto his neck as we too dropped over the edge, with my new savior clinging to one of the many ropes. It was a moment before we touched the ground, but the entire way down, I had stared at the Ship he had arrived in. I could now very clearly see its name. "FEDERATION II"  
  
I was taken aboard the ship, and down a long hall to a room labeled "weaponry." I wondered about the purpose of bringing me there. The leader knocked on the door, which opened to reveal a girl. Yes, a girl. She seemed about my age, and was very, very pretty. "Yes, Marthen?" She asked, pushing up her goggles to reveal her shining eyes: golden bronze, almost like mine.  
  
He looked down at her. "This here is Magnum. I promised him a new set of legs. Do you think that you and Mandela can carry it out?" He asked her. She scoffed. "If I can rebuild half of a living head, I think that I can make a pair of legs." "I never had a doubt." He replied with a chuckle. He looked at me after setting me on a table in the weaponry room. "I'll see you in a while. Maybe I'll give you a tour of the ship later."  
  
After Marthen left, The attractive engineer turned to me. "My name is Masadona. I'll be the one attaching the legs to your body. Mandela will design them." I looked up at her. "You have a pretty name, Masadona." She smiled chillingly. "Where I come from, it means 'Disastrous blade'."  
  
"Who's Mandela?" I asked. "You'll meet him later." She told me, and held a mask to my face. "Now breathe . . ." I sucked in, and the world went black with a dizzying speed.  
  
I awoke with a light head, and realized in a strange way, that I could feel my legs. Legs? I looked around. I was in some sort of medical room . . . The infirmary. I saw a round shape under a cloth on a table across the room. "Possibly Kirby. . ." I thought to myself. I lifted up my sheets to see my new appendages. The first thing that I noticed was not my new legs . . . But that I was completely naked. "Where are my pants?!" I cried. A head poked around the corner. It's not like I'm strange in that way, but the amused young man who was looking at me was VERY attractive.  
  
"Oh," he said. That simple, like it meant something. I supposed it did, to him. "Your awake." I wasn't looking at him. I was groping under the bed for my clothes. "Yo, you lookin' for your clothes?" He asked suddenly. I looked up at him, not enjoying the look on his face. It was a strange mix of spite and sick pleasure, which was slightly hidden by his dark tattoos.  
  
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. May I ask who you are?" He approached my bedside. "You watch your tone while you in my facility." He stressed 'facility' and gestured around the infirmary. "But I'm Mandela."  
  
I wondered for a brief and despairing moment if this angry, mean minded young man was Masadona's boyfriend.  
  
He stared at me. I stared back. "Well," he told me. "Your clothes be down the hall, in surgery." He sniggered. "Have fun gettin' there." He disappeared around the corner again. I grabbed the sheet from my bed and wrapped it around my waist. Carefully, I opened the door and peeked into the hall. Empty so far. . .  
  
"OK, so my clothes are in surgery, down the hall . . . Which way?!" I looked up at a sign on the corridor hall. It was in a language I didn't recognize, and couldn't read. But I recognized the symbol for scalpel, and an arrow pointing to my left. I walked quietly in that direction. Suddenly, a door opened. Masadona. Very quickly, I felt a pleasant (but at the moment, unwelcome) warmth spread across my lap. I quickly turned around so that Masadona couldn't see what was going on. Mandela was standing in the hall now, not far from me. He noticed the bulge very quickly. He stifled laughter.  
  
"Hey, Masadona, could you get Magnum's Clothes for him?" "Sure," She called back. I was taken by surprise when Mandela rushed forward, and spun me around. My sheet fell from my grasp, and crinkled around my ankles. I gasped, covering myself. I looked up. Masadona had already disappeared into Surgery. I turned back around, wrapping the blanket around me once again. Mandela was rolling on the floor amid gales of laughter.  
  
It was much later (and after I was dressed again) that Marthen agreed to take me home. I was shocked by the sight that greeted me. The ground was covered in tracks, presumably those of the wolves that had near killed me.  
  
I ran to the house (on legs that I had found out were totally mechanical, but some how connected to me in such a way they felt real) and stopped at the open door. I followed the course of the hall, and stopped at a large spot of blackish, hardened blood. I reached down and touched the carpet nearby, steadying myself. Who had lost that much blood in the house where I had been born?  
  
My head whipped back as a vision stormed my mind . . .  
  
(The false Meta Knight rushed forward, stabbing Kirby in the side. Kirby stiffened, then staggered to the floor. The imposter stepped forward, paused, and slid his sword out of the dying warrior. He then turned and entered the room where between Tuff and Claris, Magnum had been conceived. )  
  
My eyes widened. What did he do in my parent's room? I shoved open the door, and screamed. I thought I would never stop. Mom was sitting in the chair before her writing table, slumped over backward with a gaping, dark hole in her chest. It looked like a mouth. Very suddenly, I had gone deaf. Was I still screaming? I couldn't tell. I had gone numb also. I grabbed mom's shoulders and rocked her forward. Her eyes were gone. Empty sockets stared at me from my cold mother's face. My fingers sank into her now yielding corpse flesh, and I was greeted by another, even worse, vision.  
  
(Storming the room, the false Meta Knight laughed hard, and pushed over Claris. She hit the desk chair hard, and there was an unpleasantly wet snap from her ribs. The sound was repeated as her head hit the desk afterward, but this sound was a duller, richer sound. She screamed for a very short time, before a sword glowing with energy pierced her back, stopping the noise for a time. She struggled briefly before she collapsed. The only thing she was thinking was "My son!" The false Meta Knight laughed harder, and propped her up in her own chair in a mock form of respect. He then proceeded to further torturing her. He pressed his thumbs to her eyes, digging them into the corners closest to the nose. He pushes harder, and harder, until one of the eyes ruptured, and the other popped from it's socket. Claris screamed breathlessly, a mute cry of pain. She couldn't move. The imposter plucked both of the ruined eyes out and. . . . )  
  
I discovered at this time that I could "close my eyes" so to speak, but it didn't stop the laughter. I opened my eye again. Mom had stopped moving.  
  
(Still laughing, the imposter looked at his now twice soiled sword. He threw it away. There were no more obstacles. Now that the one woman who could have produced another rival was dead, and he had killed all his enemies in the galactial area, he needed the sword no longer. The sword skidded under the bed. Suddenly, a shadow flew in threw the window. "Damn it, I'm too late!" It yelled. It spotted Kirby out in the hall, and ran to him. The imposter, now threatened, scooped up the body and ran, the shadow, now revealed to be the real Meta Knight, close behind. . .)  
  
My real eyes opened. I was lying crumpled on the floor beside the desk, my hand curled around something hard beneath the bed. I yanked it out, and realized it was the sword that had killed my mother and given Kirby his death wound. Marthen was standing over me, looking highly concerned.  
  
"I heard screaming. Are you OK?" I looked at him, full of sudden rage. Not at him exactly, but at the man whom had killed my mother. I couldn't begin to convey the feeling surging through me. Marthen saw my face, and understood some how what was there. He offered me a hand up. I accepted, and felt a little better. As I got up, I noticed a piece of paper on the desk. I picked it up, but fearing another violent dream, I shoved it in my pocket.  
  
We got back on the ship; Marthen and I. Marthen invited me to join me up in the bridge (control room). On the way, he began talking to me. "Do you know who that sword belonged to?" I had a feeling that the original owner was not the murderer that I had seen. "Meta Knight?" I said tentatively. Marthen smiled grimly. "Yes. And you know what? The two you saw aren't even supposed to exist. I want to show you something . . ."  
  
We got up the bridge, and Marthen pressed a few buttons. A recording came over the speakers. At first, it was just the hiss of an open line, but I began to hear things. '  
"Before we continue, I want to tell you that these are recordings of messages sent from all over during the war. You're going to hear some strange things . . ."  
  
The voices began.  
  
KAA-RAAAR! (The sound of bombing, accompanied by screams, and the sound of swords) "Dear God! Some one help us!" (Many people running, more screaming, more blasts. Some one runs near the radio transmitter, yelling like they're seeing Hell.) "META KNIGHTS' BEEN STABBED! HE'S BEEN HURT! SOME ONE, HELP US ALL! (The sound of a near by blast, and the thud of a body hitting the ground. The shouter stops, but the other screams continue.) B B B B B B B A A A A A A A A A A A A C C C C C S S S S S H H H H H H H H H H H ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! (There is one final, giant blast.) S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S. . . (For several minutes, nothing but static is heard. Foot steps.)  
  
(It is a younger Kirby, breathing very hard.) Pant . . . Pant . . . "Meta Knight". . . Pant. . . "Has fallen". . . (harsh breath). . . "He's dead." (Slowly, distant cheers rise up.) "The war is over." (The sound of the radio being dropped as hundreds of foot falls approach, bringing with them, the cheering.   
  
I was very intrigued by this recording. I started to say something, when Masadona entered the room. "Magnum, two of my other patients have just awaken. They say they know you. Do you mind coming with me?"  
I wondered who it could be. I knew many people. . . I found we were headed back down to surgery. I was led into the back. I rocked back on my heels, surprised at the pair looking at me. Under slightly different armor like plates, familiar eyes stared at me from twin visors. One of them spoke up, in a rough, slightly mechanical voice. "Magnum! Oh man, we thought you were dead for sure. . ." I stopped them. "Who are you?"  
  
(and that is where I end it. I hope it was OK. Oh, and don't worry. Even though this story seems to be wandering away from the Kirby Genre, more familiar characters will soon be introduced. MUWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!) 


	11. Meet Auntie Tiff

(Now boys and girls, I'm going through another rocky section on the road of life right now, so don't be surprised if I don't update for a while again. But anyway, in this Chapter, Tiff really will be joining the scene. I know, I know. . . I promised I would put her in the 10th chapter . . . well, I forgot. Sorry. But she'll be here now, and we'll be revealing the identity of Masadona's other patients, as if you brilliant readers out there didn't already know who they were. But read on, enjoy, and please, PLEASE review.)  
  
"Who am I?" Repeated the person to my right. He sounded taken aback. "Oh, yeah, you couldn't possibly have recognized me . . ." I stared at his dark, muddy eyes. A very strange, unique spark shined there . . . I knew right then who he had to be. I rushed forward to embrace him like a brother. He returned the sentiment. "It's you!" I cried out joyfully. "It's you, Garther!" I turned to the other guy, and hugged him also. "Hey Cinsta!" I cried. He laughed with me.  
  
(For those of you who can't remember, Garther and Cinsta are Magnum's best friend. You may have to go back a few chapters if you want to see them before, though I don't really describe them.)  
  
"You look so different," I told them. Garther agreed. "Yeah, Masadona here had to totally rebuild on us. When Marthen found us, we were good as dead . . . totally torn apart. She pretty much had to start from scratch."  
  
Cinsta nodded his head in agreement. "Hey, are you guys stuck like that?" I asked. Garther sighed.  
  
"No, thank goodness. We're just really 'soft and vulnerable' right now, and have to wear this stuff until the nano-bots finish constructing our new forms. We won't look so different than what we were originally once they're done."  
  
Masadona nodded, her silvery, sapphire tinted hair floating with the motion. I sighed silently with a wondering, uncertain love. "Yeah, but its going to take a while. . . at least a good couple of months. And you two have to rest A LOT."  
  
I was glad that they were going to be OK, but a horrible thought invaded my mind. If Garther and Cinsta, a couple of Kirby's best students, had been torn to shreds, what had happened to the rest of the class? And Samarra, my surrogate grandmother . . . my family flashed through my head, in the form of a photograph from a couple years back. . .  
  
(Tuff stood in the middle, tall and proud, along with a small, happy looking Magnum whom was sitting on his shoulders. Next to them, laughing cheerily, was Claris: Her coarse black hair was being blown into her face, tickling her and causing her eyes to sparkle. On Tuff's other side was Samarra, still dressed in a starchy, stiff white dress and hair neatly tied up. None of her was being even slightly moved by the wind. Slightly in front of her was a slightly embarrassed looking Kirby, who was trying to rub away a scuffmark. Over all, it was a pretty bad picture. . . But in the corner, Off to the side, was some one that Magnum almost didn't recall. . . His aunt, Tiff . . .)  
  
I suddenly had to find her. If any one knew what was going on, it would be auntie Tiff. She had served as a reconnaissance worker during the war, using hidden camera's to monitor enemy activity. She had cameras all over Popstar, and a few in space. She traveled regularly to maintain them, for they still stayed in use. But I wondered. . . If Auntie Tiff were still doing OK, wouldn't she have seen this ship coming? Wouldn't she have seen NME rebuilding the Castle fortress? WOULDN'T SHE HAVE WARNED US? I began to worry. Something had happened. . .  
  
"Marthen," I murmured. "I really need you to take me some where . . ." he looked at me steadily. "Where?"  
  
"On the other side of the mountain," I said, "My aunt has a house full of monitors. She always knew what was going on. But I think something may have happened . . . We need to find her." Marthen thought heavily. "Would your aunt, by any slight chance, be named Tiff?"  
  
I looked at him, absolutely amazed. "How did you know?" I asked. He told me quickly. "During the war, we not only got radio transmissions, but transmissions from TV's, and certain Cameras. We received several useful Signals from one satellite on the eastern side of these mountains, but we didn't know who they were coming from . . . Until the sender, a female, tried to contact us from the same location. She said her name was Tiff, but the signal was cut. She was good with visual, but not that talented with audio. We weren't able to contact her again, though we continued to get useful footage."  
  
"That makes sense." I said. But Marthen had already run eagerly to the bridge. I suppose he was anxious to meet the source of so much information in the war.  
  
................................  
  
The man (who turned out to be named Cassias) at the wheel had a very hard time landing the ship on the other side of the mountain. I could understand, seeing as how there were so many big rocks here, and trees. But he managed. Because Aunt Tiffany had her house so close to the base of the eastern side of the mountain, it wasn't hard to find her cottage in the hot morning light.  
  
(To minimize confusion, consider Magnums surgery: when they first picked him up, it was only a while after moonrise, and I never said what time Magnum found his desecrated mother. It is very much mid-early morning.)  
  
I was the first to approach the house. "Auntie Tiff?" I called loudly. I panicked. Why was there no response? I knocked, and pulled back as the door swung open. Papers and CD's lied all across the floors, along with VideoCassettes, and audio taped. Recording equipment hissed and whined, and whispered their ever going mechanical burps and beeps. I called one last time. "AUNTIE TIFF!" Masadona's hand grasped my arm. "Maybe she's out right now. . ." she whispered.  
  
"Out my foot," came a snappish remark from beneath our feet. "If you two, and I don't know who you think you are tramping around in my house, would move, then I'd like to get OUT of HERE!" The floor beneath us rattled, and we jumped aside. The threadbare rug was shoved aside as my Aunt pushed her way out of a small trap door.  
  
A quick glimpse past her revealed a completely different house, full of expensive looking (yet probably home made) equipment and comfterbale furnishings. A foul tempered Tiff looked at me curiously, with her arms akimbo (for you who don't know what that means, it refers to something like "hands on the hips." Thank you.)  
  
She seemed to recognize me. "Ahhhh!" She cried. "My brother's boy! Maggie, Mathew, no. . ." I broke in. "Ma-" "No, no, no, don't tell me . . . Oh yes, Magnum!" She hugged me heartily. "And who is this?" She asked, smiling at Masadona. She introduced herself.  
  
"Oh Magnum," Said Aunt Tiffany, "I was wondering when you were going to start dating. I was talking to Tuff a while ago, and he said that that girl, Anastasia like you. I thought you were going with her?"  
  
I blushed horrendously. "Auntie," I hissed. "She is not my girlfriend. And neither is Masadona!" Masadona ruffled my hair playfully. "Of course I'm your girl friend, you handsome you!" I scowled sarcastically, but inwardly I was glowing with happiness (even if she was just playing around).  
  
We all shuffled back outside. Tiff squinted in the sudden light. "Argh," she muttered. "It's been so long since I've been in bright light like this . . ." Marthen, who had seemingly appeared from nowhere, swept her off her feet. "If it bothers you, then let me take you inside our ship!" I was afraid that she was going to get angry, but she laughed giddily. Masadona ruffled my hair again, and put her arm around my shoulder. WHAT THE HECK WAS GOING ON?!  
  
Aunt Tiff explained to us that her hiding in the lower, hidden rooms was a necessity. Her cameras warned her of approaching Forces, and so she had gathered all her important recordings and things and carried them downstairs. She locked the trap door after her. NME's new troops had left only the night before, after tearing the place apart and destroying her only long-range satellite. Most of her useful connections had been cut off as of that.  
  
The entire time, I noticed with some slightly confused yet malicious pleasure at the way Mandela jealously stared at me . . . And Masadona, who remained close to me, even when seated. I was no longer sure if she was still playing around.  
  
I mean, she'd surely seen me naked, while surgery I mean. I'm nothing special, but years of sword training makes for a rather nice physique . . . "nah," I told myself. If she were going for looks, she would have fallen for Mandela long before my arrival into her life. Besides, she didn't seem that shallow. But maybe . . . Well, lets just say I don't believe in love at first sight. Usually. But back to what was going on . . .  
  
(Well, there you go. This one was a rather normal sized chapter, was it not? And I just had to end it there . . . too bad. . . Don't worry. Despite what I said in the beginning, I'll try to update soon. Also, personal to babycharmander: I'm trying, but I don't like to force ideals on people. I like making readers use their imaginations. Either that, or I'm just lazy. Either one works for me. R/R!) 


	12. The Fury

(Thanks for reading! Though I have yet to hear from my 4th reader, and you know who you are, Kirbster, I'm going to keep on typing away. Also, as a heads up, I'm going to be getting a new system for my computer soon, and so I might have to stop updating for a while. I probably have at least a week, but don't get hopeful. OK, lets go to the story!)  
  
I watched Aunt Tiffany work at her machines, pulling a wire here, twisting a screw there . . . After a while, all the monitors seemed to be back on-line. I sat back and waited for her to finish, but it seemed that she wouldn't be done for a while, So I left and went outside.  
  
I started towards the ship, and stopped suddenly at the sound of voices. One of them was Mandela.  
  
"What do you think your doing, with that wimp, that, that runt? He'll never take you anywhere. You should have stuck with me. We could have gone places!"  
  
I stuck my head around the hedge that hid me, and felt myself flaring with anger. Mandela was standing over Masadona; fists' clenched at his sides. But I saw the bruise on Masadona's shoulder, and the nervous, regretful look on her face. I started to walk forward, but stopped again as Masadona got up.  
  
"Gone places?" She hissed, rubbing her hurt arm. "Yeah, we would have gone places . . . Like to the holding cells on the red planet, or into NME's hands. And you forget, Mandela," she said, spitting out his name, "I've always been your partner: but never your girl. As for 'the runt,' I can tell, he's stronger than you ever were, no matter what your history is. And he's got something you don't: a heart, and a thinking mind." Mandela's eyes went dark with fury. He raised his fist at her, and got ready to haul off. That was enough for me.  
  
"MANDELA!" I bellowed. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" I charged at him, and took him by surprise. We both tumbled to the ground, pummeling each other viciously. Masadona cried out, and ran towards the ship. I was partially glad: I didn't want to her to watch this.  
  
Mandela though, was full of pent up rage. The angry, shocked look he had been wearing when I had shoved him to the ground had been replaced with a malicious smile. Some how, his eyes had gone completely black, like jet colored stones in his head. Dead eyes. I was fighting a corpse.  
  
I felt something graze my face. Reaching up, I felt blood. Mandela had pulled a dagger on me, and he was fast. I shoved off of him, and flew backwards. At close range, I would stand no chance unarmed against a dagger. What did I have to fight with? The vision of a sword flashed in my mind. My sword? No, the one that father had given to me was Under my bed in the bunkrooms. What sword? I felt at the belt around my waist, and found a hilt. Of course! The sword I had picked up. I pulled at it, and found that it was stuck. That made sense, as it wasn't the swords original sheath, but I continued pulling. Mandela ran forward, and tried to stab at me again. I dodged and finally got the sword free. The strangely tinted blade flashed in the sun, and I turned back to Mandela. He stopped dead in his tracks, the malevolent smile gone.  
  
"So that how your gonna play, huh? FINE!" He thrust his dagger, and the blade grew longer. "Magical, isn't it?" He growled, but I knew how this worked. Kirby had shown me this trick. Certain swords had hollow hilts. Because of it, the blade could be hidden almost half way so as to look like a dagger or knife. While it made for a good trick, such swords were bad for hard combat.  
  
This time, I attacked with the advantage. I slammed down on him, but didn't make contact. Instead, I whirled back around, and knocked his legs out from under him with the flat side of my new sword. He fell snarling, but didn't stop. He reached up with his sword and gashed my chest. I gritted my teeth and back slashed him, and began to feel very strange. I didn't pause to think about it . . . But when I lifted my foot, and then the other, I stayed there. In the air, that is. Mandela was nonplussed. I let go, and the world in front of me hazed into a fog. I felt rather than saw, and I was amazed by what I felt. My sword was whirling back and forth, at impossible angles. I felt each movement make contact, and I felt small flecks of blood hitting me. I was almost afraid, but let go entirely. I was bent on defeating Mandela now. I began to black out. The last thing I heard was Marthen calling me . . .  
  
(Tiff) I stared at the screen. What was Magonumous doing? I Zoomed in. "What the . . ." His eyes had gone completely gold! And. . . WHAT WAS HE DOING WITH META KNIGHT'S SWORD?! I watched with silent horror and amazement. I didn't know how skilled he was with a blade. What had Kirby been teaching him? I shoved open the trap door, and climbed out to get back to the ship: I had a lot of questions for Marthen . . .  
  
(Back to Magnum) "Magnum, Magnum! STOP I'!" I could hear some one yelling in my ear, and began to surface again. What was going on? The last I could remember, I had been fighting Mandela. I realized slowly that my arms and legs were bound, and some one was holding my head down. "MAGNUM!" They yelled again. I found it was Brutus. For all his size, he seemed to be having a hard time. I struggled to stop moving, and the fog before my eyes cleared away. I stopped moving instantly. Everyone was staring at me. Not only my aunt and new friends, but also most of the crew and warriors were there also for some strange reason. Why did so many of them look hurt? Did NME's troops attack while I was passed out? A horrible realization dawned on me . . .  
  
"Magnum, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Marthen yelled into my face. "You almost KILLED Mandela, and, and, ARGH!" He stormed off, too angry to talk. I understood now. I had done all this, but how? Brutus saw that I was done fighting, and unleashed me. I rubbed my wrists, and looked around nervously. Auntie Tiff stepped forward, and examined my face. "You really don't know, do you?" she asked quietly.  
  
I looked at her wonderingly. "Know what?" I asked. Everyone around me gave a small jump. Some one in the back shouted out. "He's a fury, isn't he?" Tiff turned around. "Who said that?" No one answered.  
  
"Well, who ever you are, your correct."  
  
"I'm a what?" I asked. Tiff guided me to the ship. "Come with me." I followed confusedly.  
  
I found that she had already set up a small room for herself on the ship, and that the room had a huge screen. Much of the crew crowded into the room, and out in the hall. Aunt Tiffany pushed a tape into a slot beneath the screen, and I watched with a horrified fascination. I was watching myself: and I didn't like what I was seeing . . .  
  
(The tape rolled, revealing what had been going on while Magnum had been mentally unconscious. His muscles and veins stood out, and froth flew from his jaws. His sword was an invisible blur, and the Person in front of him, Mandela, was unable to defend himself. He cowered under each blow, while blood ran from his every wound. The attack continued until Magnum was upon Mandela with his fists.)  
  
I winced as I heard a few rapid snaps. I had broken Mandela's ribs, and one of his arms was hanging at a limp, awkward angle. I heard some of the crew behind me muttering.  
  
(Several voices cut the air, and Marthen ran forward yelling Magnum's name. Brutus and much of the crew followed him. Masadona was by Marthen's side, carrying some sort of gun.)  
  
I watched as myself on the screen turned on the crew and captain. I fought with strength that denied my size and age. I threw people out of my way, and hacked into others with the sword, which I had picked up again. Aunt Tiffany paused the tape, and zoomed in on my face. My expression was blank, but for my twisted mouth. I couldn't tell if I was grinning or scowling. I stared at my eyes. My normally dull, gold eyes, were now completely gold, and glowing. Aunt Tiffany shut off the tape. "Magnum, do you remember any of this?" She asked. I suddenly realized my entire body ached, but other than that, I felt nothing but confusion. "No," I told her. She nodded sadly. "Thought so . . ." She said.  
  
"Magnum, you, are what is known as a berzerker Fury." "What?" I asked again. "You have the blood rage. Let me explain . . ." She turned to face the entire crew, and me. "This is usually a hereditary default. When you feel extreme emotions for some one, or something, and see them being harmed, or lets say that you see something that makes you impossibly angry, you become the fury. You will do any thing to defeat those that you are fighting, and anything to protect that which you care for. You become blind to the odds against you, numb to all pain, and deaf to the screams of pain you cause. You become a killing machine. If not for your young age, inexperience, all of these people, except most likely for Masadona, would be dead."  
  
I couldn't move. "Let me get this straight . . ." I whispered. "I have some sort of disorder, that causes me to kill people with out knowing it?" "Not all the time." She told me. "Sometimes you'll just go mad." I looked at her angrily. "Oh, that makes it so much better." I said. But then I thought of something. "You said it was hereditary . . . who did I inherit it from?" I asked. Aunt Tiff smiled sadly. "Your father, of course. But his came out much later, in his teenage years. After the war though, it seemed to stop." I looked down at the floor, and wanted very much to leave. But where would I go?  
  
I started to leave the room, and had to suppress the tears that came to my eyes when everyone moved out of my way with looks not of sympathy, but of fear. I had to go. I had to go and find my father. And maybe the original Meta Knight . . . Perhaps he could help. As I left, I stuck my hands into my pockets. I felt a crumpled ball of paper, and took it out. It was the parchment from mom's desk. "To whomever finds this first, be it Kirby or my dear son Magnum. . ."  
  
(Well, that didn't take TOO long to type up. Hope you liked it. But now, Magnum is leaving all of his new friends behind to find some one to teach him. Can he handle the fact that if he ever loves some one, he may become a killer? Who will he run into first upon leaving his adoptive family? Kirby told him that his part in the war would be bloody . . . I guess we have seen his abilities to carry this prophecy out. But whom will the blood be from? And what does the letter from Claris say? To find out, continue reading, and please, please review.) 


	13. The Letter and the Lessons

OK, just to tell you (because reading the story alone would definitely not give you this): with the ancient-ness of the warpstar and the hundreds of years put into the life energy from Kirby, the two combined to restore Magnum seriously 'warped' his age. He is now instead of around being 11 years of age; he is now approx. 18 years old. He has also gained something very special: the spiritual essence of Kirby now resides in his subconscious, leaving a POSSIBILITY of resurrection in the future. Thank you for your time, and I apologize for the waste of space. Oh, yeah: There really are such things as berzerker furies, but they are usually much less extreme.  
  
"To whomever finds this first, be it Kirby or my dear son Magnum,  
  
I feel so sad upon leaving the home where I spent so many of my years, and the house where my son was reared. But I feel that it is necessary: for NME's forces are rising again. I recently had a vision in which there were two endings. In the first one, I saw NME gloating over the burnt hull of Popstar . . . his throne was built of the thousands of casualties, and fire filled the sky. The sky itself was blood red, and screams rent the air . . .  
  
But in the second end, I saw nothing but the clear sky, and a light: in the middle of the light was a shadow: but this shadow held no malice. Behind it, I could hear the cheers and laughter of millions, and I sensed joy. The shadow raised a sword, and with it's raising, NME was destroyed again, and his forces vanquished.  
  
These visions were intertwined, rotating upon the shadow. I pray that the second vision is the one that comes to be, but I know that there is a strong chance that the first vision may also come to pass. Who ever finds this first, please, find help. If you don-"  
  
The letter ended there, where mom's hand writing scrawled off the page. I assumed that this was where the false Meta Knight had attacked her. I folded the letter and put it back into my pocket. I then left the ship, but stopped to wonder where I would go. I had two paths in front of me: the first led back towards to the mountains, where my father most likely was . . . but I wanted desperately to leave that place behind. The other path lead to a place once called Cappy town. I always wanted to visit the ruins, though my parents refused to take me. "That's where I'll go." I told my self, and started stolidly down the path . . .  
  
A week later . . .  
  
"I need some real food . . ." I whispered. My throat was dry. I'd tried to hunt, but there were no real animals. I had strayed off the path to find water, only to find a dried up creek. I was lost, with out water (thank God that it had rained) and I couldn't find my way back to the path. I had given up all hope when I saw the smoke, and the fire.  
  
It took every ounce of will I had left not to run into the clearing, and steal the food over the fire. Instead, I hid, and waited. And waited, and waited . . . no one came for almost 3 hours! I eventually fell asleep, even though I tried not to: but I was to exhausted to really resist. Sleep came quickly to me.  
  
When I woke up, I panicked. Some one had put a blanket over me, and I was lying by the fire. A pan of food was in front of me, kept warm by the flame. I quickly got up and looked around, and tried to draw my sword. Gone! My sword was GONE! "What in the world is going on?" I shouted. And then thought, "Hey! I can talk!" My throat was no longer sore, and my thirst was quenched. I found a canteen nearby, and shook it. It was half- empty. Some one had given me water while I was out, too. Who?  
  
I was nervous. I was totally vulnerable, and had no idea where my sword was. I picked up a Long Branch. It was hard and straight: I could fight with it. "Who's there?" I called. It was quiet. A pinecone exploding in the fire made me jump.  
  
I saw movement in the corner of my eye, and spun. No one, but then I heard someone behind me. I spun again, and caught a glimpse of bright, blank gold eyes. Quite suddenly, I was terrified. Was it some sort of fury like myself? I ran from the clearing, and tripped over every branch, rock, and stump. I was panicking and I knew it. But what could I do?  
  
I was stopped by a sword point to my face. The blade glowed with energy, and I could feel the heat and power radiating from it. I couldn't look past the blade to see who was holding it, until the blade lowered. I was looking at Meta Knight. "You!" I yelled. I Backed up, and tripped over a log. "Forests suck," I thought to myself. But what was going on? WHY DID EVERYTHING HAVE TO KEEP SURPRISING ME?  
  
He looked at me with an expression I couldn't read. "What do you want from me?" I asked. He stayed silent, but gestured for me to get back to the clearing. I got up, and started back. I sat down on the blanket, and he sat across the fire from me. "What I want from you," He said quietly, "Is to teach you. You have some skill with the sword, but you are sadly inexperienced. I see you tried to get some weapon," He told me, and I dropped the stick, "But admit it . . . you are defenseless with out a blade. I want to show you how to use your body . . . and maybe someday, how to harness the berzerker."  
  
His propositions made me hopeful, but was this the clone, or the real thing? A faint voice spoke up in the back of my mind . . . "trust . . . him . . ." It sounded slightly like Kirby. Good enough for me.  
  
"I'm going to believe you." I said slowly, and picked up the pan. "I'm glad." He said, and threw me a fork. Thus began my apprentice ship to Meta Knight.  
  
(I know, this part of the story is moving strangely fast, but it has to. OK! I'm going to stop talking now . . .)  
  
It was almost a year later that I was able to find Marthen and the crew again, after my training. I had learned fast, according to my new teacher. Even though I looked pretty much like I did when I left, I had changed plenty on the inside. Meta Knight had taught me how to use many weapons, and showed me how to manipulate my mind to control the berzerker mode. Of course, I didn't have a complete grip: but I could now trigger it on my own, and make choices while it was happening. I had power, but I admit I was still afraid to use it.  
  
When I caught up with the crew though,I found that many things had changed while I was gone . . .  
  
Aunt Tiffany had completely moved onto the ship, and Marthen had built a base in the castle. Other Federation forces had also moved into the area. The only person I wanted to see though, was Masadona.  
  
"Marthen!" I called, when I saw him. He looked up from his work, and ran over to me. He seemed unsure whether or not he should yell his brains out at me, or hug me to death. I wasn't sure I wanted to stick around for either one.  
  
"Magnum, where have you been?" he asked. "Long story!" I said frantically. "Where is Masadona?" Marthen  
  
(Boy, I really do use a lot of M names in this story, don't I? Shutting up now . . .)  
  
Looked down, and scowled. "After you left, she tried to follow you. Garther and Cinsta went with her. Once he was healed, Mandela went out. Unlike the others, I think he wanted to hunt you down."  
  
"Your saying she never came back?" I asked. "Yes. A few searched, but we couldn't find her." He told me. I clutched my skull. Why did everything involving me have to screw up? I asked him which way she headed. "She seemed to be going to the mountains. Are you going to look for her?" But his last question was lost on me. I had already left.  
  
I ran all the way back to the forest, and was surprised by how easy the 4 mile sprint was. What had Meta Knight been training me for this past year? "Sir Meta Knight!" I shouted, once back into the woods.  
  
My teacher materialized out of the shadows. "So, what happened?" He asked. I tried to calm down, and explained. "Masadona's been missing for almost a year, and so have my best friends." He sighed and shook his head.  
  
"Any one else?" I reluctantly told him about Mandela. "Wonderful," He murmured. "You've made even MORE enemies. What do you want to do now?" He asked. I looked at him surprised. "I thought you would tell me something!" He looked at me scoldingly.  
  
"This is your training. You have to make all the decisions. I only help you learn, and teach you skills. And of course, do this." He stepped back, and disappeared into the shadows again. I found that he had an annoying habit of doing this.  
  
"So, I make all the important choices, eh?" I said to myself. "Then I'm going to find Masadona!" I turned back to the now paved mountain path, but was stopped by a huge hand on my shoulder.  
  
(da da da dum! I'm so horribly evil! Now you must wait! But don't worry. I seem to be on a real kick, and I'll be updating again soon. R/R!) 


	14. Up the mountainside

"Ah!" I cried out. I spun about with one open hand raised and forward, and the other as a closed fist up by my chest: this was the defensive position Meta Knight had taught me. You could start an attack, or stop one from this stance.  
  
"Wha' are ye doin' now?" Rumbled my attacker. I lowered both hands. "Brutus!" I shouted. He smiled warmly at me.  
  
"I was wonderin' when ye wou' be back!" He chuckled. He patted me on the shoulder brotherly. "Bu' I didn' mean to su'prise ye loik tha'." I nodded in understanding. I knew he didn't mean to.  
  
I would have been happy to talk with the friendly giant, but I was eager to be off: and Brutus could see it in my eyes. "Are ye goin' to loo' for Masadona?" He whispered to me, leaning down to talk into my ear. I nodded again, mentally mapping out which way she might have gone up the mountain, if she'd tried to get to my old home. Brutus stood straight and stuck out his chest while he shouldered a new looking oak club, studded with slate chips.  
  
"Then I'm goin' wit' ye." He said confidently. I was about to turn him down, afraid that he would be too big and slow: but then recalled the speed he had exhibited on the first day I'd seen him, when he crossed the room. Plus, even though I was an excellent fighter now, I was still inexperienced with real warriors. Meta Knight had refused to let me fight the random soldier who crossed our path. Instead, he taught me how to hide, back in shadows where no one could see me.  
  
I smiled. "Sure, Brutus. I'd be honored to have you along with me. I'm going to need all the help I can get." He smiled back, with a grin like a split watermelon. I noticed for the first time that his teeth were all pick axe sharp. Where in the galaxies had this man come from? "I hope you can run," I told him, "Cause that's all I'm going to be doing until we reach the mid mark!"  
  
(The mid mark was a cave with a tree growing over it, exactly half way up the eastern side of the mountain. Tuff had taken Magnum down to it after crossing over the top of the mountain (for they lived near the top of the western side) but he had never let Magnum go much farther down than that.)  
  
Brutus was unsure of what I meant by 'the mid mark' but he seemed ready to meet the challenge. In a flash, we were both off. I was ahead quickly, running so fast that I seemed to barely touch the ground. I was sure I was going to get there first . . .  
  
But a little after getting up the trail on the steep mountainside, I was forced to slow down. It was too steep to run! I forced my way up the trail, wondering if I would have to trigger the fury to get to the mid mark. It was that difficult for me. I lifted my head, and saw Brutus way off the trail, contentedly jumping from ledge to ledge with his strong legs. I was starting to get curious. Maybe Goliath's dad really wasn't dead . . . I mean, same looks, accents, and abilities? There had to be a connection.  
  
I stopped in the middle of this thought. The paved path in front of me went straight up for about 30 or 40 feet. There was no way I could get up that. Unless . . .  
  
"'Ey, are ye all roight down there?" Called Brutus. I wondered if I should try to . . . maybe . . . I did. I lurched suddenly to the left, jumping as hard as I could. While I did, I triggered the fury. I felt the heat race through my body, and my vision began to redden as my blood rose. But I controlled it as I had been taught to. It worked!  
  
I landed on the ledge I had been aiming for, more than 25 feet away and 5 feet above my starting point. I jumped to my right now, pushing up and sideways. My adrenaline-saturated system boosted me up, and I landed on another ledge, higher up than last time. I did it again and again, until I was standing side by side with Brutus. He shook his head with amazement, and chuckled softly. "Come on then, ye li'le grass hopper!"  
  
I laughed, trying to ignore the slight fatigue spreading through my legs. "If I'm a grass hopper, than you're a toad!" He laughed heartily, and jumped. I watched the muscles in his legs stretch and retract, and copied the movement. This time, my jumps didn't take so much energy. I laughed again, and we kept going, faster and faster, until we had reached the top.  
  
We hadn't expected to be at the summit so soon, but it was good we had gotten there earlier. Both of us were exhausted, worn out from our race up the mountainside, completely missing the middle mark. I munched a handful of wild strawberries, and passed some to Brutus. He took them happily, and shredded them. Red juice ran thinly over his bottom lip, and I had a sudden, strange sort of thought. I imagined him chewing heads, not berries: and the red liquid running from his lips wasn't juice.  
  
I shook the image out of my head. I had to stop thinking of those teeth! I looked into the darkening sky, concentrating on the light of the setting sun. The sky had already darkened to a warm purple/red hue, and as I gazed upon its beauty, A memory came to me, full of pleasant sensations and laughter . . .  
  
. Pretending not to notice he was there, I turned my back to him, and gazed into the now violet sky, still a rich red wine color on the horizon. I heard my stalker take a few more wary steps towards my position. Smiling, I bided my time. I waited until he was directly behind me. "Ha-HA!" He cried, confident he had taken me by surprise. I ducked and jumped, planting my feet firmly into my attacker's back. We rolled into the surf, laughing madly and wrestling like the children we once were. Wiping sand from his eyes, Tuff sat up. "How are ya . . .?"  
  
"What?" I murmured. I couldn't remember that ever happening to me, but it seemed to fit me . . . in at least some strange way. I shook my head again, and turned to see what Brutus was doing. He was moving a few bushes aside, tearing them up by the roots. "Brutus! What are you up to?" He turned, wiping sweat from his face. He grinned and shouted back: "There is som' sor' of cave over here, but it's 'alf buried. Land slide I guess. . ." I ran over to help him, but he had already finished.  
  
"Good job, Brutus!" I said, patting the small of his back (since I was way too short to pat his shoulder.) "You found our shelter for the night!"  
  
We crawled inside (Brutus really had to squeeze) and shoved out all the sharp, jagged rocks. The part of the cave we were in was full of them, but farther back; there was a big cavern. Both Brutus and I had a bad feeling about the spacious area, and decided to stay where we were. We lit a small fire near the entrance of the strange cave, and slept: Brutus on one side of the cave, and I on the other. Our feet touched, but still, neither one of us would go into the large, dark part of the cave. It seemed almost cozy, and I knew there was a word for the strange little cave we were in . . . it wouldn't come to mind, and so I went to sleep . . . only to be met with a nightmare.  
  
I kept running, and behind me, I could hear heavy paws pounding the ground. It was one of the wolves! My heart pounded, and I was starting to slow down. I suddenly remembered the fury, and laughed. "You can't catch me!" I cried, but my words were drowned in the creature's roar.  
  
I triggered the fury, but lost control. I was blind and numb to the world. I could hear some one in front of me. They were going to try to hurt me! I bellowed out in my rage. Both of my hands swung, and I hit some thing. A sick pleasure washed through me, and I swung my paws again. PAWS?!  
  
I was no longer the fury. I looked up, and saw blank golden eyes hovering over a mouth of horrible, jagged teeth. The paws swung again, and knocked me to the ground. I cried out, and tried to swing back. A paw pinned me to the ground, and the teeth closed over my head . . .  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------  
  
"AAHH!" I screamed. My breathing was harsh, and sweat poured off of me. I clutched my chest, and felt my heart racing. "Wow," I whispered. "Just . . . wow." I began to calm down. It was just a dream, after all. I curled up to go back to sleep, in the now almost pitch black cave. I rolled over, and faced the opening to the cavern beyond my sleeping area. Red eyes stared back at me, and a rumbling growl issued from between sharp, white teeth . . .  
  
(MUWAHAHAHAH! Well, you know the drill. Suspense and all. Thanks for all the reviews! *Hugs self, and smiles happily* any way, keep on reading, and tell me what you think! Also, can you guess what is staring at Magnum?) 


	15. Loki and Goliath

( note(Note from the author: Because of a mistake I made, some of chapter ten was missing. If you go back and read it, it may make a little more sense. Thanks for reading!)  
  
I held stock stillstock-still as the monster in the dark stared at me, snarling with hunger. I started to move away, but was too slow to stop the attack.attack . . . It rushed forward, and clamped it'sits teeth around my throat, growling and thrashing. I reached up and pulled my attempted killer off. It was a little puppy! It kept on growling at me, but soon got tired of the 'vicious predator' act. It wagged a wispy tail, and licked my hands. I wondered why it looked so familierfamiliar, and it came to me! This was one of those wolf thing puppies! It cocked it'sits head at me, and ruffed happily. I smiled and petted it, chuckelingchuckling at how cute it was. It was very short lived though: at that moment, I realized that all puppies have parents, and this one's couldn't be very far off. "that'sThat's it!" I whispered to my new little friend.  
  
"that'sThat's the word I was looking for earlier.earlier . . . this cave is a den!" The little cub seemed to know what I was thinking, and whimpered. It jumped out of my grip, and crawled back into the cavern beyond. I went too: afraid, but curious. I waited, and heard nothing but the puppy's whimpers, and the sound of it crawling around. I tried to find Itit in the dark, and my hand ran across a stiff hide. I found the head, and felt the huge teeth. This was one of the wolves. I felt around more, and felt that the wolve'swolf's throat was torn. This creature was dead. Was the puppy dead? Where was the other parent? I crawled back through opening, and roused Brutus.  
  
"Wha' is i'?" He murmured, still half asleep. "There's a puppy in here.here . . . I think this use to be a den. One of the parents is dead."  
  
Brutus sat up, awake and alert immediately. "WHA'?!" He shouted. I led him back into the cavern, and he switched on a flashlight from his knap- sack. He shined it around the room, and illuminated both the parent I had found, and a second wolf corpse in the back. The puppy was crouching in the corner, hackles raised threateningly: he was obviously terrified of Brutus. He. Was it a boy? Did it really matter?  
  
"Here boy," I called. "It's OK, he's not going to hurt you.you . . ." The puppy reacted, and calmed quickly at the sound of my voice. It happily bounded over to me, though it paused while passing one of the bodies. I picked it up, and craddledcradled it in my arms. Brutus looked back towards the hole, and saw that the sun was raised. He pointed to it, and I nodded. It was time to move on.  
  
As Magnum and Brutus left the cave, they didn't notice the signs of life before them.them . . . foot printsfootprints, not paw prints, surrounded both wolf bodies. If they had gone around the back of them, they would have seen that much of the male wolf was cut away, not torn off. A big but un-scarred and young looking hand printhandprint in blood had been left on the rear wall . . .  
  
Even though the ledge jumping was in it's own way, kind of fun, I was relieved to find that the path back to my old home was much more level. I remembered with some reluctance, the big rocky platforms that dotted the western side of the mountain. It was one of these that the old house had been built on. Loki (pronounced low-key, was the name I gave the puppy) was tumbling down the path and playfully darting around my legs. I laughed and told him to stop. Brutus shouted to me, and I ran to him. He had gone off the path, and had found something.  
  
"loo' at this.this . . ." He whispered. It was the remains of a fire, recent but not new. There were also foot printsfootprints. BIG foot prints. It wasn't Masadona obviously, but it was some one worth finding. If they lived up here, maybe they had seen Masadona! I decided to see if Loki was a good tracker, and led him to the fire. He sniffed around the fire, and sneezed when a bit of ash went up his nose. He dug around a bit, and unearthed a bit of cloth. I held it to his nose and let him get the scent. He sniffed at the scrap for several moments before going into a frenzy.  
  
'AAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ! !" He howled, in a high-pitched puppy voice. Brutus dug his fingers into his ears. Loki suddenly ran off into the scarce brush surrounding the area, and I followed him quickly. I almost tripped over him when he stopped, and turned sharply. I followed him again, and we both dashed off. I heard Brutus thundering behind me, easily keeping up. We ran like this for almost an hour, winding back and forth, down the mountain.  
  
We stopped in front of another cave, and I stared at the smoke that trickled from the mouth of the cave. I leaned forward, and called into the opening. "HELLO!" I called into the opening of the cave. My voice echoed back, and I heard with it another response.  
  
"AYE, WHO IS I'?" A lumbering shadow came from the cave, wiping his hand on a cloth similar to the one Loki had found. I noticed quickly that the cloth was soaked with blood. The shadow stepped out into the light, and I saw that it was Goliath. He looked up, and stared at Brutus. The rag dropped from his hand, which I saw was bleeding. Brutus stared back, his face full of surprise. Goliath staggered, and leaned against a tree.  
  
"Are ye my . . . ?"  
  
Before he could continue, the sound of laser fire tore the air. NME's troops were attacking us! Goliath fell to the ground, with a steaming hole in his back. . .  
  
(Dum dum dum! HAHAHA! For the purpose of creating a cliffhanger, I decided to end it there. Can you guess how Brutus is connected to Goliath? Will Goliath even survive? KIRBSTER, SHUT UP! DON' T TELL ANY ONE! Okie dokie! Keep reading if you want to find out!) 


	16. Beauty before age:Masadona before Meta K...

Brutus grabbed me and pulled threw me to into the cave. He grabbed Goliath also, and hefted him over his shoulder. I heard thunderous, pounding footsteps from above the cave. I watched as the silent, black cloaked troops of NME jumped down and spun, firing into the cave and upon us. My anger rose. We hadn't done anything! They had no right to attack us! I had to get moving. I reached inside and pulled the trigger. this time, I was going to let go.  
  
"Brutus!" I struggled to shout. "Stay out of my way!" And the world hazed from red to black . . . and I fell into the power well of the fury.  
  
The fight lasted full on for over and hour . . . Magnum fought with madness, taking down everyone who opposed him. A little ways into the fight, the attackers were fighting both for their lives and to get out of his path. Brutus had nothing to do but take down any one who Magnum didn't get to . . . even then, the job was a small one. In the back of the cave, Goliath rolled over and groaned, unable to move. Loki got closer, and sniffed him. He recognized Goliath's features, and yelped shrilly. He ran to the corner to hide, and spent the battle there.  
  
Outside of the cave, blood was flying in a heavy mist through the air, as Magnum hacked and slashed. His sword was an invisible menace, and as he flew from the ground, his legs and head-butts broke bones and cracked skulls. He was a machine: a fast and efficient killer. He paused for a scant second over one of the fallen soldiers. The man looked up at him, and pleaded for his life. He got about half way through his appeal before he was separated from his head. Eventually, the fight began to wind down. Magnum had killed everyone, and was breathing hard. His face covered in a red mist, and his blank golden eyes glowing, he looked like a demon out of an ancient Cappy textile. Magnum's eyes fell upon Brutus.  
  
Brutus sucked in a panicked breath, and held still. Magnum raised his sword, and suddenly collapsed to the ground. He was physically spent, and the berzerker had no where to go. In little more than 60 minutes, Magnum had single handedly decimated troop #23 of NME's army: a group composed of over 200 well-trained warriors.  
  
I opened my eyes, and for the second time found that Brutus was holding me up. He leaned me against the cave wall, and handed me a bit of bread. I nibbled on it, and felt my face go warm with embarrassment. Did he have to stare at me like that? Loki bounced over to me, and dug his muzzle into my side. He curled up and fell asleep in that position. I peered across the cave. Brutus was now taking care of Goliath. I felt a knot grow in my stomach.  
  
"Is he OK?" I asked tentatively. Brutus turned back to me. "Ye may no' believe i', bu' the shot tha' man gave 'im missed all O' 'is vital organs. i' wen' throu' 'is shoulder though. . . 'ee's gonna 'ave a 'ell o' a time tryin' to use 'is arm later on." I nodded sadly, and looked out side. I winced at the sight of the carnage I had caused. Brutus had apparently piled up the bodies, and they lied in piles 5, even 6 bodies high. The space outside of the cave was crowded with them.  
  
Goliath rubbed his head with his good arm. "Wha' 'appened?" He asked. He looked up at Brutus again, who smiled uncertainly. "Are ye . . . my pater?" (Father, that is . . . mater is mother.) Brutus looked relieved that Goliath had started the talk. "I'm 'orrible sorry, bu' I'm no' ye pater. Wa' 'ee by any chance thou', named Grang?" Goliath looked shocked. "Aye, tha' 'ee wa'! Bu' 'ow did ye know?" I leaned forward to hear. Brutus nodded steadily. "Aye, I thought' the like. . . ye 'ave 'is eyes. I woul' suppose tha' i' woul' mean tha' I be ye uncle thou'." Goliath leaned back, and closed his eyes.  
  
"I never knew I 'ad an uncle. . . why no'?" Brutus looked out side, and stared at the sky. "I ran off one nigh', years ago. Ye pater tried to sto' me, bu' I kep' on goin'. I joined a travelin' pack o' salvagers tha' 'ad landed fo' the nigh', and away I wen'. . . I aven' been on thi' planet fo' years. Ye be my on'y attatchmen' to the place."  
  
I knew that Goliath had to be a little confused, but this explained a lot for me. I petted Loki, who woke up suddenly. He saw Goliath and scrambled against me to get behind my back and away from Goliath. I looked at him strangely, and turned to Goliath.  
  
"What did you do to him?" I asked. Goliath opened his eyes. "Eh?" He murmured. "To Loki! The puppy! Why is he afraid of you?" Goliath looked down guiltily. "Wher' di' ye pick 'im up?" He asked. I told him about the cave, and he looked away.  
  
"Aye, tha's the place. I 'ad to kill 'is paren's when they attacked me. I put the bodies back, but too' som' o' the meat fo' foo'. I didn' know they 'ad a chil'. 'onest!" I wasn't sure, but I believed him. What did he have to gain by lying? I got up, with Loki in my arms. I sat down out side, and looked around. I had killed so many . . . I couldn't get comfterbale with their dead gazes upon me. I got up, and found the trail. I sat down on a rock, and stayed there. Loki grumbled with happiness as I scratched under his chin, and then over his back. "OUCH!" I cried, and drew back my hand. What pricked me?  
  
I picked through his fur, expecting to find a burr, or picker. Instead, I found a small, golden spike protruding from his skin. The spikes grew all the way from the back of his head, to midway down his tail. I wondered about them. As I pondered the growth of these little, sharp spikes, another memory came to me . . .  
  
I flew on my warpstar, dodging the lighting. A lightning bolt came at me at a speed so fast; I had no time to move. I swallowed it, and felt the power course through my body. I changed slightly, and felt my power rise. A sword materialized in my hand, and I looked up to do battle with my assaulted. His single eye tracked me, and I watched as electricity sparked up and down the gigantic golden spikes that protruded from his sides. One name came to me: KRACKO!  
  
I shook my head in confusion. This was another event I couldn't ever remember going through, but I could almost feel the wind against me as I flew to the fight . . . As I stared down at Loki, another, much briefer memory came to mind.  
  
A huge mouth, and huge eyes. The magenta hair of my enemy bristled in anger, and he struck out with his claws. I remembered hearing Meta Knight speak of this monster . . . WolfWrath was my opponent today.  
  
I ricocheted back to reality. Loki . . . maybe . . . the wolves that had attacked me earlier . . . now that I thought about it, they had had big golden spikes too. So, what did it mean? WolfWrath and Kracko: some how, Loki was related to both of them, along with the rest of his kind. Wolf- Kracko, Kracko-Wrath? What?  
  
I lost my train of thought though, when I heard a noise in the bushes in front of me. I stood up, and reached for my sword. Gone! I looked back, and saw it stuck in the chest of a soldier more than 80 feet away. I went into my defensive position instead. Masadona tumbled out of the brush, followed by Cinsta and Garther. I fell back to my seat in surprise, and Masadona sat next to me: she then collapsed with her head in my lap. Garther plunked down on my other side, and sighed heavily. I noticed that most of his body was back to normal now, but he still wore his head armor and both his left leg and right arm were still metal plated. Cinsta showed a similar case. All three were exhausted. "Where have you been?" I asked imploringly. Cinsta cocked his head at me, and replied:  
  
"We would ask you the same question . . ." he looked over at the enormous amount of bodies, and continued. "But I have a feeling we don't want to know." I sighed, and looked down at Masadona. She had fallen asleep with a smile, but it looked as though she had seen some pretty bad days during the past year. I looked at Garther.  
  
"Why didn't you guys head back to the ship?" I asked. Cinsta answered for Garther. "Those guys, yeah, the dead ones . . . troop 23 I think it was, kept stopping us. Masadona's been taking care of us, and making sure that we never got caught. Plus, she refused to go back until she found you." I sighed, and absorbed the information feeling slightly guilty. If I hadn't run off, my friends wouldn't have had to do this. Garther suddenly jumped up and shouted in alarm. "Where did you come from?!" he yelled. Meta Knight had been standing next to him. I started to ask how he managed to get here so quickly, but shut my mouth. Why bother? He wouldn't tell me anyway.  
  
Meta Knight looked with interest at Loki, who was now asleep at my feet. "You've tamed a hybrid?" He asked. I looked up at him. "Is that what he's called?" I asked. Meta Knight shrugged. "They have many names . . . that is simply what I choose to call them." I waited for him to continue.  
  
"I've finally found out where they came from," He said, and leaned against a nearby tree. "I watched one of the camps, and found that NME set up a special machine: similar to the device he used to send monsters to King Dedede." He paused, and started to explain. "That's OK, you can tell the others later," I said, and pondered briefly on the memory of a throne room full of machines and monsters.  
  
Meta Knight seemed slightly taken aback, but continued on. "Anyway, he used the machine to splice together DNA from two of his most powerful fallen monsters: WolfWrath and Kracko. A while ago, NME lost a few of the wolves. This was about 3 or 4 months back. He decided to let them roam free, and spread wild. I do believe though that he didn't consider the factor that some one might tame one of the hybrids . . . like you did, Magnum." Now I understood. The others seemed a little confused, but now I knew what the monsters were and where they were from.  
  
Meta Knight continued. "Also, this is something important to all of you . . ." He said quite ominously. We all leaned in to hear him better. "While I spied on the camp, I heard talk from one of the soldiers. He was discussing how a friend of his in another troop helped capture about 30 or so lost kids. He said that one of them, "A big one" he described him as, escaped. I peered back at the cave. That had to mean Goliath! But that meant . . . Garther spoke up.  
  
"You mean that NME captured all of our friends?" He choked. Meta Knight lifted his eyes to look sadly at the sky. His look of unhappiness was quickly replaced by his usual blank look. "Yes. The last thing the soldier said was that the kids were lead by a grown man. He didn't know what the other troop did to him." I sucked in my breath. Dad!  
  
(HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Now you must wait! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! But don't worry . . . I'll try to update soon. Later. Maybe. ) 


	17. Death to the Clone

Dad! I stared at Meta Knight, and compassion filled his normally placid eyes. "I know, Magnum," He told me. I continued staring. It hadn't really struck me until now to think about what had happened to my father. I had been so self-absorbed stuck in my training. "Magnum, there is a strong chance that the man that led that group of children, who were most likely your old class mates, was you father." Horrible shivers began to run up and down my back and arms. I didn't really notice that I had clenched my hands into shaking fists.  
  
Masadona awoke suddenly, and sat up. She watched me, and backed away some. Regret filled me instantly, and I exerted my will and stopped the shivering. Meta Knight nodded his approval. Meta Knight looked back at the cave, and Loki finally got up. I watched as Meta Knight's eyes changed, and glowed a strange green. He stared concentratedly at the cave, and His gaze whipped back to me. "Who are you with?" He asked. "Brutus and Goliath," I told him. "Why?"  
  
His eyes darkened with what seemed to be anger. "Only two others?" He asked. I nodded earnestly. He suddenly ran to the cave, and I instinctively followed him. "What's wrong?" I shouted to him. He didn't turn around, but he answered. "There's some one else in there!" He shouted. I paused in surprise, but continued.  
  
Meta Knight grabbed his old sword out of the corpse, and ran head long into the cave. I snatched up a Long Branch to use as a pole and followed him in. Meta Knight came to a fast stop, and I almost crashed into him. "YOU!" He shouted. I followed his gaze, and squinted in the dark. The other Meta Knight! He looked so different . . .  
  
(Meta Knight's clone stood in front of both Magnum and his teacher, now garbed in a flowing black cloak, lined with silk. He had adorned a mask similar to the mask the real Meta Knight once wore, but this one was gold: traced with bronze flames. His eyes, the pupils now fully opened, were little more than glowing, circular out lines. The sword he held seemed to consist of black flames almost invisible in the dark, but Magnum could easily feel its heat and the power radiating from it from 10 feet away.)  
  
"Yes, ME!" The clone shout back. He laughed chillingly, a sound like glass shattering on ice. I shivered again, and was filled with such anger that I considered using the fury for the second time today. The dark clone advanced, but Meta Knight held his ground. "Magnum! Back away!" He shouted. I quickly obeyed.  
  
I was blinded momentarily as Meta Knight's sword blazed with a piercing white light. Once my eyes adjusted, I could easily see all the contents of the cave. The sword Meta Knight held was white hot, and I was unable to look straight at it. I turned away, and saw Brutus slumped in the corner. Blue/red blood trickled down the side of his head from a nasty looking lump so big it had split the skin. Goliath was still against the wall, though his already blood soaked bandages from earlier were now falling off, unable to stay on to block the heavy flow from his side.  
  
"Magnum! What going on?!" Shouted Masadona from the mouth of the cave. Garther repeated her line. The Clone turned, and smiled wickedly at the undefended Masadona. I saw his intent in his eyes. Time seemed to slow down, and I watched as he turned, and ran at her . . . the sword thrust straight out . . . I got to my feet, and ran. Ran? No, I SHIFTED. I had gotten up, and moved so fast, I felt the lag of gravity leave me for a moment, and I materialized in front of the dark Meta Knight. The branch I had picked up slammed into his chest, and I realized with shock that it was ME moving like this.  
  
(For those of you having trouble imagining this speed, think about the Matrix, or the speed that Goku has when he fights. Like his instant transmission. If you haven't seen or heard of these things, Imagine seeing some one move so fast that they disappear, and reappear when they stop. )  
  
The clone grunted in pain, and stepped back. I pushed on, and forced him to the ground. Almost instantly, my hand was on his throat: and my thumb was pushed into his windpipe. I saw his eyes widen further. He stared up at me, almost unbelievingly. His eyes turned to Meta Knight, and he croaked out, "What have you been teaching the boy?"  
  
Masadona stepped back out of the cave, while Garther and Cinsta entered. The movement momentarily distracted me, and I felt the hot, black blade that the clone carried press flatly into my side. I clenched my teeth, and whisper/screamed in pain. It felt like some one was pressing a brand into my side. Instead of letting up as he probably expected me to, I pressed my thumb further into his throat. He gagged, and pulled back his sword. His eyes rolled up into his head, disappearing from the black slit in the mask he was then wearing. He slumped against the dirt floor, and the blade of his sword cooled, to reveal that it was a plain iron sword with a black leather bound hilt. I got up and kicked it away. Meta Knight put a hand to my shoulder, and pulled me back. "What are you doing?" I asked. He said nothing. I asked again, but stopped in mid sentence as he raised his own sword, still glowing with an ethereal light.  
  
He brought the blade swiftly down, and I watched with horror as it pierced the mask, widening the eye slit as it penetrated directly between his clone's blank eyes. The light of the sword flared beneath the mask, and then went out completely. I was temporarily blind again as my eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness.  
  
"Meta Knight!" I gasped. I hadn't known him long, but I began to doubt if I should stay with some one so cold. Would he hesitate to kill me if he had to?  
  
He turned back to me, and understood what I thought. "Magnum, learn this now: leave no chances for your enemies to attack again. The only good enemy is-" Brutus suddenly spoke up hoarsely. "I' a dea' enemy. Aye, if I'd followe' tha' rule, I wou'dn' 'ave thi'!" He pointed to the lump on his head. "I coul' 'ave taken 'im ou' earlier."  
  
I was still horrified by the completely nonchalant way that my teacher had killed his adversary, but some thing deep inside of me agreed with this notion. If you can't teach an enemy to become a friend, the only way to deal with them is death: be it you or them. I leaned over and removed the ruined mask from the clone's face, and turned away. The clone's face was utterly destroyed: ground, burned meat.  
  
I examined the mask. The mark from Meta Knight's sword was much wider than the blade, and the edges were melted. I stared at Meta Knight, who was now by Brutus' and Goliath's sides. I had forgotten about their injuries during my horror. Meta Knight was Calling Masadona to him, to take care of their wounds. I barely heard them as I wondered about Meta Knight's power. What kind of attack had he used, that so much energy could come from a simple sword? Why had he not told or taught me of this attack? Did he think me to weak to learn or use it?  
  
Later on, Meta Knight and I sat by our own private fire. I bit into the roasted leg of the small animal I had caught. Meta Knight chewed reflectively on his own portion of meat, thinking about battles past, I suppose. I lowered my meat, and stared at him. Though he faced away from me, he still sensed my gaze. "What is it?" He asked me.  
  
I waited a moment for him to swallow, and asked him. "How did you use the sword like that? . . . The energy attack I mean." He turned on his seat to look at me. "It's called a sword beam. I simply exerted my will while using it to keep it on the sword. When I released it from a still position, it was all concentrated on my target."  
  
I now felt confusion, and a little resentment. "Why haven't you taught me this attack?" Meta Knight stared at me, while taking another bite. I sat annoyed as I waited for him to swallow again. "There are two reasons," he stated, with his mouth still half full of food. "The first, I suspected you may already know this attack." He tapped his head, and mouthed the word "Kirby." I looked at him. "What do you mean? Kirby never taught me that attack." He sighed. "No, that is NOT what I meant." He got up, setting the roasted bird down on a rock. He walked to my side and placed a hand on the side of my head. "Close your eyes." He told me. I obliged, and he pressed his hand to my temple. I suddenly saw a huge space, full of small lights like stars.  
  
I heard his distant voice. "Look for him." He told me. I didn't understand, but I searched for Kirby. Quite suddenly, he was in front of me. It was Kirby, but he was trapped in some sort of dark, red, spherical crystal. Meta Knight let go of me, and I rocked back to reality. Meta Knight was already sitting back down.  
  
"I thought you might know it already because Kirby and your self are attached in such a way that you and Kirby share memories and abilities."  
  
I stared at him, harder than before. "So, if I tried to remember, I might be able to do it?" Meta Knight nodded. But then he glared at me. "But I don't want you to try yet."  
  
"Why not?" I asked, slightly taken aback. "I'm worried you may be to strong. The way you are now, with out complete control of your fury, you could kill hundreds with the wrong flick of your wrist. The sword beam delves into your innermost power, and brings most of it out of you . . . if you can't control it. You need to get a true grip on your fury, and then I will teach the sword beam attack to you."  
  
(Ahh! So now Magnum is going to learn the sword beam . . .. Maybe. And Kirby is inside of Magnum! That explains the visions to him. But what about Goliath and Brutus? Are they OK? R/R the next chapter!) 


	18. Bad dreams, memories, and sword beams

I sighed. Meta Knight was right, and besides: I didn't feel like hurting any more people, for a while, at least. Still, I felt a darker sort of need to learn the sword beam . . . the power I could unleash . . . I shook my self and left the fireside. Meta Knight continued eating, quiet and mysterious once again.  
  
I meandered over to Masadona's fire, to see how she was doing. She still seemed very tired. "Are you OK?" I asked quietly. She looked at me, and a small, halfhearted smile came to her face. Her eyes remained dull.  
  
"I'm fine, now that I can see you." She whispered. I sat down by her, and she put her arm around me. She had gotten so thin . . . "Masadona, really, are you OK? You don't look so good . . ."  
  
Masadona sighed again, the smile dropping off her tired features. "I just haven't been sleeping well . . ." She said, "And-" she stopped, and bit her lip.  
  
"What?" I asked anxiously. She gazed at me with her bronze tinted eyes. "Mandela." She murmured. I felt a black anger rise in my chest.  
  
"What has he done?" I ground out. Masadona looked away, and told me.  
  
"I didn't tell Garther or Cinsta about this, but about a month ago . . . I ran into him. He didn't see me, but I saw him. He was carrying a bunch of broken looking weapons, and he was very badly hurt. His eyes had gone wild, and all I could hear him saying was 'I'll kill all of them . . . All of them . . . Magnum . . . Marthen . . . all of them. And then I'll have her . . .'" Masadona sighed once more. "I'm sure he was talking about me. But that's not all." She stopped and continued.  
  
"As I waited for him to leave so I could continue foraging, I felt some one-" she stopped, seemingly embarrassed. I urged her not to stop. She blushed and whispered: "I felt some one . . . 'touching' me. I'm sure it was a man. He was right up behind me, and he put both arms around my waist. I turned around, but there was no one there. The feeling stayed though, the feeling of his touch: and ever since, I've been having nightmares about this experience. Every time I dream, I see a tiny bit more of his face, and learn about him. I can't stop him either . . . he's been talking to me out of the shadows, when I'm alone. I can't understand what he's saying, but I can hear him and I know he's there. As for Mandela, well, when he disappeared into the bushes, some one ambushed him. I heard some one hit him, and I heard him fall. I didn't know what to do, and they dragged him off."  
  
Now I understood. Masadona looked so dog-tired because of the guilt and fright she'd been feeling lately. Little sleep for too long can do a person in. "It's OK," I told her. "They're just dreams. I'll protect you." Masadona smiled at me. "I know it's OK," She said. "And I know you will protect me."  
  
It was already midnight. I looked up, into the sky, and saw it was the new moon. What month was it? June? I had another month to go before my birthday, exact time being when the July new moon reached it's zenith, or peak. Sadly, I felt no anticipation for my birthday.  
  
What I felt was disgust. I had spent most of the night with Meta Knight and my friends, cleaning up the casualties of my berserker fury. I will never forget the feeling of a warm, limp corpse against me: the smell of rotting flesh: or the way dead eyes never stop staring.  
  
Every one else had already fallen asleep. Even Meta Knight. But me, I just couldn't. I could kill hundreds . . . he had said. That is of course, if I used the sword beam the wrong way. I began to wonder if I should try to do it any way . . .  
  
"No," I told myself. "No. No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" I closed my eyes. In the back of my mind, a needling, whining voice spoke against me.  
  
I had gotten so much better over the year. If I was careful, couldn't I do it with out hurting any one? I mean, it would be a greatly useful attack in a fight, and I wouldn't have to use the fury. My eyes snapped open. Should I?  
  
I crept over to Meta Knight's side, and nervously picked up his sword. He didn't stir. I turned and began to walk away, but stopped dead in my tracks. A small squeak escaped my throat, as Meta Knight turned over and sighed in his sleep. Sleep. I let out my own, quiet, relieved sigh, and continued to sneak away.  
  
As soon as I was out of range (that of both sight and earshot) I raised the sword to my face and realized I had no idea where to begin. " . . . I suspected you may already know this attack." He tapped his head, and mouthed the word "Kirby."  
  
Maybe, if I tried hard to remember, it would come to me . . . I concentrated hard, and dug inside of myself. I felt myself tumbling in a dizzy mental fall, but I righted my self and floated. All about me were the lights again. Now I could see the pictures in every separate light: each one was a separate memory. I ignored these, and looked for Kirby. I found him right away. I floated over, and placed my hand on the crystal in which he was incased. Instantly, I pulled my hand away. My hand!  
  
I raised it to my face, to get a better look. This was NOT my own hand! The palm was rough and callused, and corded with sinew and muscle. My gaze traveled up my arm, and I saw that it was a similar case. My clothing was different also. I was wearing some sort of rough woven traveling cloak. What had happened to my height? I was almost as tall as Brutus! I looked up to see my reflection, and suddenly fell back out of concentration. I looked down, and realized I was still my average sized, not so muscular self again. A kid. Then what had I seen?  
  
I tried again, and went back quickly to Kirby's chamber. The crystal was pulsing now, with a dark, persimmon color light. Energy waves radiated from the crystal, and I found it difficult to get closer to Kirby. I pressed my hands to the hard surface of the crystal, this time too interested in what was going on to care about my body. Unexpectedly, my right arm sank through the surface of the crystal, which had suddenly seemed to become liquid. My right hand was pressed firmly to Kirby's forehead. His eyes opened steadily and slowly: and I stopped breathing. My mind!  
  
(Magnum's body on the out side shook on his feet in what seemed to be a small seizure-like episode. Whether he knew it or not, delving into this part of his mind was hurting him. Meta Knight's sword had dropped from his hand, and now both arms hung limply by his sides. Masadona, wrapped in her own nightmare, sensed something bad was happening: but she didn't understand that it was happening to Magnum.  
Magnum's body collapsed underneath him, and now he buckled and writhed, raising small clouds of dust and sand. Much longer in this state, and he might not live . . .  
Meta Knight, very much awake and alert, made no move. He knew the pain that Magnum was experiencing, but couldn't interfere. He was risking the life of perhaps the only possible savior, but this was not HIS lesson to learn. Magnum would have to pull himself out . . .)  
  
MY BRAIN! Visions, aromas, sounds, memories, feelings both physical and mental flooded my head: thousands of them. It was like having millions of people trying to force themselves in through one doorway. I forced my eyes open, and saw through a white blur everything from Kirby in his Crystal, both Aunt Tiffany and My father arguing over a TV, a man I didn't recognize in armor, and his comrade, both next to Meta Knight, it was all going on at once. I reeled with pain that seemed to be tearing at my skull. Suddenly, it was serene again.  
  
One, clear memory drifted in my head. I raised a plain, steel sword to my foe,  
  
(One the outside, Magnum was unconsciously picking up the sword again. It began to glow . . .)  
  
. . . and felt my energy flow into the blade. I slowly lifted it high, and brought it slashing down again. I heard a voice in my memory: Meta Knight. "When you bring it down, release your energy!" A blinding flash shot in a crescent beam from my sword and I fell back.  
  
I opened my real eyes, and my mouth gaped at the devastation. All of the trees around me for a good 80 feet to either side had been wiped away, along with many of the trees behind them. From there on, the destruction seemed to angle upwards and into the sky. "Did I do that?" I rasped.  
  
(Magnum scurried quickly over to Meta Knight's side again, a dropped the sword back by his 'sleeping' teacher. He backed from it sharply and lied back down on his original sleeping space. Meta Knight smiled at the back of his frightened student, and chuckled gladly, if not dryly. "Good job, Magnum. Now try it with your eyes open . . ."  
In the back of the cave, Masadona began to settle. Morning was coming, and her dream was ending. Tonight, she'd seen her stalker's eyes: bright, blazing gold. She had been frightened by the power he had suddenly emitted in her nightmare, but it seemed almost as though he too was frightened by his abilities. She was starting to wonder just how much of a danger this man was to her . . .)  
  
Well, that's all for now. Review soon! 


	19. The Morning After

(Stupid computer! I couldn't update in like, FOREVER! I hope you like this chapter, but don't expect much more for a while because of technical difficulties.)  
  
Loki yawned at me widely, letting his tongue loll out. He happily panted and gave me a puppy smile. I smiled back at him tiredly. I turned from Loki and glanced warily over at Meta Knight, who was saying something to Brutus. Brutus laughed, and looked in my direction. I quickly turned away. I really hoped Meta Knight didn't find out what I did, but I was afraid he might decide to go for a walk and see all the trees that had been sheared away.  
  
My gaze, now diverted from Meta Knight, was aimed at my long missing friend Goliath. It had been a while since his shoulder had been injured: He could use his arm for minor tasks now, thanks to Brutus and Masadona. Unfortunately, his side was still badly damaged. Apparently, the dead Clone of Meta Knight had hurt him badly. Still, he tried valiantly to sit upright disguising whatever pain he may have had. He chewed on some misshapen bread baked with medicinal herbs: which Masadona had made on a flat rock by the fire. I sat down next to him.  
  
"How are ya doing?" I asked, trying to smile, but the grin was lost in a yawn. Was I tired because of what I did last night?  
  
Goliath sighed, and looked at me. He turned to speak directly to me and winced, clutching his side. I started to help him, but he turned me away and sat up again. "I'm fine, 'ow 'ave ye been ye'self? Thine uncle tells me tha' ye seem to 'ave taken a ligh' to Masadona."  
  
I felt a horrible, red tinted warmth rise to my face. Did absolutely EVERYONE I met up with have to embarrass me over this?! I looked up at Goliath, and decided to ignore the second part of his statement/question.  
  
"I've been fine, just fine . . . if you can call finding out you have the ability to slay hundreds at a time and finding out your father may have been murdered fine."  
  
Goliath's face contorted, and I could see that I had slightly confused him with my answer. He smiled, and laughed, still full of confusion. "Aye, fine all righ'. Ye'll be a righ' goo' pal to 'ave in a figh' some day." His chuckles dissolved and he held his side again. I left him then, to finish his breakfast.  
  
I called Loki, and we both went into the trees for a morning stroll. I started to jog, just to wake me up. Loki kept up with my pace easily. Looking down at him, I realized that he had grown much in the short time he'd been with me. The puppy that had barely come up to my knees now trotted next to me with his bristly, red fur brushing my upper leg now. Feeling refreshed and wide-awake, I stopped at a tree.  
  
As I rested, the light of the morning fell upon a dew covered web. The glimmering, diamond like strands reminded me of something . . .  
  
I started to think of Masadona. Would it be possible to have a future with her? I cared for her strongly: though I still seemed unwilling to admit that I might love her. I imagined her, her smooth, silver blue hair. I imagined running my fingers through that fine hair . . .  
  
(Third person view, watching Masadona back at the camp) "Hey!" Masadona spun around, and her eyes searched wildly. "Who's there?" she demanded. She didn't hear anything for several moments. She went back to cleaning up her few things, but shivered remembering the feeling of someone's fingers running through her hair. The presence was familiar: the one whom had appeared to her in dreams.  
  
(Back to Magnum) "What was that?" While imagining Masadona, the young woman in my daydreams had suddenly gone fearful, and asked me to stop. That was odd . . .  
  
(I know, I know, horribly short chapter. But I'm afraid that I might not update for a while, [because of the errors with the document manager at this site, no less!] and so wanted to get SOMETHING out. And I've revealed who Masadona's 'stalker' is. Magnum! I explain in the next Chapter. See ya then!) 


	20. Magnum's new found abilities

I jogged back to the small camp, and found Masadona staring into the dying embers of her private fire. I kicked some brush into the small flame, and with some work, brought the light back into burning. I sat next to her, and saw on her face that something had happened whilst I'd been out for my jog. In her eyes, I saw fear and confusion.  
  
"What's wrong?" I asked. Masadona looked up at me, and pressed herself to my side. I shuddered with pleasure. "I felt him again . . . the one who's been following me. He was running his fingers through my hair, and-" I stopped her.  
  
"Wait, what?" She repeated herself, and I told her with some apprehension about my daydream. Masadona, now without fear, was just plain confused. I told her (some what embarrassed) about my other daydreams, and about how I thought about her so often. I wondered aloud if perhaps we should consult Meta Knight on the problem. Masadona agreed whole-heartedly that I should talk to him. And so I did.  
  
"Sir Meta Knight?" I called loudly. My voice was questioning. Meta Knight appeared out of some nearby tree shadows, and confronted me. "Yes, Magnum?" He replied.  
  
I really wasn't sure at first how to word my question, so I simply told him of what had been going on. Meta Knight poorly disguised his laughter with a fit of fake coughs.  
  
When he was done, he spoke. "Ah, Magnum. It seems we have much more in common than I thought at first. You, my dear student, have an open broadcasting mind!" I stared confusedly at him. Meta Knight chuckled. "You see, you have a very strong telepathic ability. As a young boy, I had a similar problem: and a problem it was until I learned how to control it."  
  
"I still don't understand," I told him. "What does that have to do with me scaring Masadona?" Meta Knight closed his eyes, and I suddenly heard his voice within my head. ("You care strongly for Masadona, and so she is constantly on your thoughts. You think of her so much, and with such love-" (That made me blush) ("-that you broadcast your thoughts and daydreams about her, to her. I shall teach you to control this ability, and even how to use it to communicate with other Telepaths.")  
  
I was slightly amazed. Meta Knight was a Telepath! But then again, so was I. I concentrated as hard as I could, and tried to reach back to him. I was doing my best, but my message was still choppy.  
  
("You-. sai-.. Other Telepaths- . . . doe- . . That mean- . . I can't do- . . . thi- . . . with non-Telepaths?") Meta Knight opened his eyes, and stared with awe at me.  
  
"Magnum, one day you'll either be a hero or a menace with those powers of yours. Some of the strongest Telepaths in the world need at least a year of training to accomplish the even to broadcast a few words conciously, as you just did. I'm going to have to start working with you right away so that you don't hurt anyone with your MIND now! But to answer your question, (yes, you can't link with non-Telepaths: usually.")  
  
I almost didn't catch the transition between verbal and mental communication, but still I was able to spot it. I continued the conversation aloud. " I don't think that Masadona is a Telepath though. So why can she still hear me?" Meta Knight smiled. "I said 'usually' didn't I? Besides, I think that that is something you should ask HER yourself."  
  
I walked back through the trees, and happened upon Masadona again. She looked up hopefully at me from her perch on a big rock. "Well, what did he say?" She asked. I relayed to her most of the conversation.  
  
"-But when I asked him why you could feel me, he said I should ask you." Masadona smiled sheepishly. "Well, I think I may know why, now." I waited for her to tell me.  
  
"Do you remember, when you first met me, that I said I once rebuilt half of a living head?" I nodded, starting to figure out where this was going. "Well, the head I rebuilt was my own."  
  
I stared unbelievingly at her. "How in the world did you do that?" She smiled. "Long story made short, with A LOT of help. But part of the mechanical part of my brain acts as a sort of radio so I can pick up certain filtered broad casts. I think that may be why I can 'hear' you."  
  
I laughed. "So you can hear open radio waves? Can you show me?" She smiled, and opened her mouth slightly. Her left eye suddenly glowed brighter, and I heard pop music issue from her mouth. The music stopped, and a voice (not Masadona's) came forth from between her lips. "That was 'Cappy rock, by pearl and the boys! You're listening to C-A-P-P-Y radio! Tune-in in half an hour to hear more on the shadows spotted over the old town ruins!"  
  
Masadona shut her mouth, and her eye stopped glowing. The noise stopped. "That was so strange, and yet SO COOL!" I cried. Masadona threw her head back and laughed. I don't know why, but I joined her in her laughter. We laughed, and fell to the ground, rolling about like little children. Both of us came to an abrupt stop. Masadona turned to look at me. We were so close together, that my shoulder touched hers.  
  
I stared into her eyes, and couldn't believe that half of her beautiful face wasn't really hers. Her eyes half closed, and she leaned closer. I leaned in also, and my lips met hers. She felt real enough for me.  
  
(End chapter! I am so horrible. I'm trying to update as often as possible now, so expect lots of short chapters in the future. Sorry! But thanks for reading! Review soon!) 


	21. Old Friend

(I know you all must be VERY busy with your own lives, it being summer and all: BUT WHY HAVE I RECEIVED NO REVIEWS IN TWO WHOLE CHAPTERS?!?! Sigh . . . *Tear, tear* . . . To be a suffering author . . . Any way, in addition to this story, I did a picture of Masadona. If you want a copy to see what she looks like, [and please don't use it for anything other than viewing, I don't need MORE legal troubles.] say so in your next review and I'll try to send you one. Thanks for reading!)  
  
It was much later on, as the sun was setting, that we were all ready to finally leave the little cave that had become our camp, and head back to the base Marthen had set up. I walked side by side with Meta Knight as we walked up the path. Meta Knight at that time, unbeknownst to the others, was tutoring me mentally in the different ways of using Telepathy.  
  
("Now Magnum, you can obviously send physical feeling without much trouble, but I want you now to try and send me an image. Picture something in your head, something easy to focus on, and concentrate as I taught you earlier.") He told me. I focused on the image of a roasted turkey, dripping juices and butter, steaming fragrantly, stuffed with bread, nuts, herbs and spices, oozing with dark gravy and surrounded by sliced carrots and potatoes.  
  
(Man, are you hungry? I'm hungry.)  
  
I then turned my attention to Meta Knight. I struggled a bit to send the entire picture to him, but I saw the slow smile spread over his face. He'd received it. ("Good job, Magnum! I can almost smell it!") Suddenly, Garther spoke up.  
  
"Is it just me, or can any of you guys smell that too?" Some one really was roasting a bird! I hurried ahead to find the source of the smell. Loki was already there. The young wolf was hanging his head over the top of the trail, where there was a sudden cliff-like drop. There was a hole there, from which faint smoke and the rich smell of roasting meat was wavering.  
  
Meta Knight noticed the smoke and rushed to my side. He looked around, and a look of remembrance dawned in his eyes. "How could I have forgotten?" He asked himself, and laughed. The others, including Loki, and I stared at him confusedly. "Don't mind me asking sir," said Cinsta, "But how could you have forgotten what?"  
  
"That old scamp . . . I wonder if he's still living here?" Meta Knight got down on his hands, and crawled about. Now we just all stood back and stared incredulously. "What is he doing?" I heard Masadona whisper to Brutus. Brutus shrugged.  
  
"Ah ha!" He shouted. We all jumped. "I found it!" He drew his sword, and tapped it on the ground. Instead of the earthy thump I expected, there was a resounding metallic clank.  
  
A rather unhappy: no, grumpy, voice came muffled from beneath the point where Meta Knight had tapped his sword. "Who is it? GO AWAY FROM THIS PLACE! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Meta Knight burst out laughing in a way that was very unfitting of him. It was a rough, almost barking laugh. It made me wince. "You old fool!" He shouted back. "Open the door and say hi to an old friend!"  
  
"Which 'Old friend' would that be? I have no friends!" I cocked my head. Who in the world could it be? "You old codger, it's me! Meta Knight!" There was a long pause.  
  
"Who do you think you are, playing such a dirty, horrible, damnable prank on an old, lonely hermit? Meta Knight is long dead!" The voice started to fade, as if the speaker was wandering away. "I was there when Kirby found him dead at the end of the battle. Now leave an old man to rot in his own home . . ." Meta Knight sighed. "Crazy old man."  
  
He jammed his sword into an almost invisible crack, and levered it up. A large trap door opened in the dirt. I glimpsed into the dark hole. I saw a chicken turning on a spit over a flame in a clay hearth. The smoke from earlier had been coming out of the chimney, which had been cleverly carved out of the cliff.  
  
Meta Knight dropped down into the hole. We all waited anxiously for something to happen. "Magnum, come with me, I want you to meet this man." I looked around, and saw the others waiting for me to go. I decided I should do as he say. I dropped down into the hidden home, and followed Meta Knight.  
  
"Get out here!" He called.  
  
I saw a movement in the shadows. "How did you get in here?" the old man asked. Light fell upon a filmy, half-blind eye. His only eye. The old man crept closer, and his one eye widened in shock as he sighted Meta Knight. "It is you!" Meta Knight smiled, and patted my back.  
  
"Magnum, THIS is and old friend of mine: his name is Waddle Dee."  
  
(Ok, you all must be wondering: Meta Knight friends with Waddle Dee? But sadly for you, I don't explain this until the next chapter. I know, too short and pointless. But I warned you about upcoming short chapters. Keep reading . . . AND REVIEWING! *Thinks for moment*: please?) 


	22. His Father is Found

(My apologies: I meant in the last chapter to say Waddle Doo, not Waddle Dee. That is all. Thank you, and enjoy the chapter.)  
  
Meta Knight's 'old' friend came closer, and touched Meta Knight's face. "You look exactly the same, the same way the day we found you, and Kirby removed your mask . . ." Meta Knight smiled sadly. "All in the past." He whispered to him. Waddle Doo turned to me.  
  
"Who is this?" He asked. "My name is Magnum." I told him. Meta Knight continued for me. "He is my latest student. You could say perhaps, that he is Kirby's successor."  
  
Waddle Doo nodded appreciatively, though he still seemed confused as to how Meta Knight was alive. "How is Kirby?" He asked. There was a moment of awkward silence.  
  
"Dead." Meta Knight finally said. "But I have a feeling that Magnum here will be an even greater warrior with some more training." Waddle Doo was momentarily saddened, but a sly light shone in his one, milky eye.  
  
"Did you say your name was Magnum?" He asked me. I started to say something, but shut my mouth. ("Don't say anything to him. I believe that over the years, his memory has gone bad.") Meta Knight sent to me. I sent him the image of a nod.  
  
Waddle Doo glowed with quite a bit of pride in himself. "Yes, yes . . . it was Magnum. I suppose that would be short for Magonumous?" I nodded wondering how he knew. I do NOT have a common name, though my mother once mentioned my father named me after a fighter Meta Knight once spoke of.  
  
Waddle Doo stared at me. I was beginning to wonder if he ever blinked.  
  
"I've been nursing a man in my pantry for sometime now. He told me to watch out for his son, Magonumous."  
  
"WHERE?" I shouted. I coughed, and repeated my self. "Sorry. Where is the pantry?" Waddle Doo actually 'waddled' over to a door in the wall. He opened it to reveal a medium sized room, in which the walls were laden with jars and boxes containing various root vegetables and dried meats. The electric light overhead was a simple hanging bulb.  
  
I didn't notice any of this. My attention was on the man on the cot in the middle of the floor. His decimated eyes stared up at me. "Father!" I cried. I pushed past Waddle Doo, and dropped down on my knees next to him.  
  
Dad wrapped his still muscular arms around me. "I'm so sorry Magnum." He told me. "Sorry for what?" I asked. "I'm so, so sorry son . . ." His left arm wrapped tightly around my neck, pulling me close. I couldn't move. Still, in the corner of my eye, I saw him draw a blade from beneath the cot. He was dry sobbing now: he was too tired, too physically spent to really cry. "I'm so very sorry . . ." the blade arched up to my side.  
  
(Out side) Masadona, who was sitting on a stump, suddenly sat up straight. "Magnum!" She cried. Garther turned to her. "What?" Masadona looked worriedly towards the trapdoor, which had closed by itself quietly moments before. "Magnum's in danger . . ." She whispered to herself.  
  
I saw the blade coming, and jerked away from his grip. I moved with that strange, liquid speed from my first and final fight with the clone. This speed was still something I hadn't figured out. But now I wasn't about to start complaining about it now. But instead of the serenity I felt before, I just felt a strange, malignant anger.  
  
I whipped around behind my father's back, and grabbed his wrist. The blade dropped from his hand. His other arm came up to hit me, and I grabbed it also. He grappled with me furiously.  
  
"What are you doing?!" I yelled. He tried to look over his shoulder at me. "I can't stop myself!" He forced himself up and turned, and pulled from my hands. He picked up the blade again.  
  
"I can't stop!" He repeated. Waddle Doo confused and frightened, entered the pantry. "What are you doing?" He asked quietly. He touched my father's back. A kick sent him flying backwards. Meta Knight shoved into the room. "Tuff! Stop this!" Tuff ignored him, and approached me again. I ducked down, and swung my right leg out. I tripped him up and followed through with my left leg. I kicked as hard as I could, and landed a hit to his midsection. I sent him sprawling to the other side of the pantry, leaning against a barrel of pickled roots. His eyes closed and he stopped moving. "Dad?" I asked. I regretted hurting him instantly.  
  
There was no answer. When I reached out to help him, Meta Knight stopped me from getting closer. He walked to dad's side, and with his sword, probed his head. Dad's head lolled limply to the left. Meta Knight dug the tip of his sword into my father's head. "Wait! What are you doing to him?" I asked.  
  
I heard a click. There was a flash of plastic and tiny circuits, as a microchip popped off of my dad's head, and landed on the floor. Meta Knight leaned over and picked it up. "Thought so." He threw it to me, and I caught it easily. It was no bigger than a small coin. I looked at him confusedly.  
  
"Electronic mind control." He said matter-of-factly. "NME's soldiers must have planted it on him when they captured him. He was programmed to kill you." I understood now. Dad had acted that way because he couldn't control himself. But now I was highly relieved. Now that the chip was gone, I was sure that he would be just fine. I stared at the tiny machine. It seemed slight broken. A little piece was missing off the corner. But it didn't matter. I slipped the little mechanism into a pouch in my belt, and silly me: I completely forgot about it. It wouldn't comeback into play for me for a while.  
  
(Unknown to Magnum and Meta Knight, a tiny fraction of the microchip remained on Tuff's skull. Mechanical fibers drifted from its edges and wavered in an almost living way. The hair thin fibers spread out from the fragment, and buried themselves in Tuff's skin. The fragment was then pulled beneath the surface of his skin . . .)  
  
Meta Knight paused over Waddle Doo. "Are you Ok?" He asked. Waddle Doo stared up at him in his unnerving way. "I've seen better days. But I want that man out of my house." He got to his feet. Meta Knight tried to speak to him. "It's OK, he's fine now. We solved the probl-" "I don't care. I want him OUT!" Meta Knight shrugged. We began to move my dad.  
  
We finally got him outside, and Masadona examined him. Every few minutes, she would glance at me. I was confused, but thought nothing of it. Meta Knight spoke in hushed tones with Waddle Doo. Waddle Doo stared at me the entire time. His one eye had gone dark. He seemed unhappy. He finally closed the trapdoor, and Meta Knight walked to my side. "Is everyone ready to go now?" He asked. Brutus hefted Dad up onto his shoulders, staggered slightly from light pain, and righted himself. The others nodded.  
  
Meta Knight nodded back. "Good. Then let's get moving." And so we started back down the eastern side of the mountain, missing a trip to my house, and with my father.  
  
I shared a small cabin on the FEDERATION II with my teacher. Was he sleeping? I wasn't sure. He made no noise, but he was often silent. I was facing the wall, turned away from him on my own bed, but I was almost sure I could feel his eyes on my back. I sent a mental probe to him, a slight questioning thought.  
  
It was of course, not verbal. I couldn't control verbal messages like Meta Knight yet. What I sent was a feeling, like the ghost of a thought: in it was the question of his consciousness, and what had taken place today in his conversation with Waddle Doo.  
  
Meta Knight rolled over, but sent nothing back. He was asleep. I started to sleep also, but an echo of my probe came back to me. I had struck something involving my question.  
  
I focused on the bed in the dark where I knew Meta Knight slept, and closed my eyes. I saw Waddle Doo in front of me. Meta Knight's memory voice came from my mouth: not aloud, but in my head.  
  
"What do you know about the shadows?" "Nothing. I've been keeping to myself but for taking in the injured man over there. Is it really Tuff? He wouldn't tell me his name." "It is Tuff." "Hmmm . . . yes, I remember him and that sister of his." "Waddle Doo, before we depart, I want you to keep this."  
  
I handed Waddle Doo a letter.  
  
"Keep it safe. Don't open it, don't read it, do nothing but hide it. It will not be long until my student comes for it. It is important."  
  
Waddle Doo closed the door.  
  
I didn't notice that at that point, Meta Knight was starting to stir. I searched his memory. The one I wanted seemed to find me, rather than vice/versa.  
  
Dedede's castle was alive with fire. Meta Knight ran through the flames, with his cloak wrapped about him. Blade Knight was dead: he had died from laser fire from one of NME's soldiers. Sword Knight was struggling to keep up as he carried the body of his fallen comrade. Meta Knight could feel the tears and pain that Sword Knight carried, and felt something a bit like fear. Was it the death touch? Star Warriors were often said to share extremely close mental connections with a close friend or warrior right before death. He had done everything he could for Kirby, but he still didn't want to die. Not with the chance to help destroy NME one last time looming ahead . . .  
  
He spotted a huddled shape in the corner. It was a person, wrapped heavily in cloth: trying to protect themselves. They were shivering even in the unbearable heat, whimpering with fear. Unlike Blade Knight, this person could still be saved: and Meta Knight knew it. He swept him up, and carried him. The trio and Blade Knight's body burst from the burning castle and into the cool night. Meta Knight didn't stop running until they were far from the castle, and neither did Sword Knight. He set down the bundled person. They struggled weakly in the thin blanket, and the cloth tore. Waddle Doo rolled out. He stared up at Meta Knight, with a huge tear glistening in his shining eye. "Thank you, Meta Knight . . . friend."  
  
I pulled out, not realizing that my teacher was directly in front of me. It was too dark, and it seemed darker. Even though it had been only a memory, I had gotten so deep into it that the flames seemed bright and real. Thus, the dark room was made darker by my eyes trying to adjust. Meta Knight placed a hand on my shoulder, making me jump. Looking up, I saw his eyes glowing green: like a flame in which copper had been placed. The strange light of his eyes danced.  
  
"Next time Magnum, wait until Morning and ask me what you want to know. I don't appreciate trespassers in my mind."  
  
He walked back to his bed and lied down. I followed his example and tried to sleep; though I couldn't stop thinking of my father lying down in the infirmary.  
  
Tuff's eyes opened, though he saw nothing at all. The artificial intelligence programmed into the chip was not just a machine: it was one of NME's newest and smallest monsters. Tuff sat up, and turned his unseeing eyes on Masadona sleeping not 3 yards away. He pushed back the blankets, and got up. He opened a drawer, and picked up a medical scalpel that had been stored inside.  
  
Back in Magnum and Meta Knight's room, the chip in Magnums belt pouch had swollen to the size of the warpstar beside it. The warpstar, in fact, was the only thing keeping it from growing any larger. The chip did what it could though, and dug into the leather behind it. The tiny chip, actually a monster called ZAPP, lied in wait for it's next host to appear so that it could destroy those who opposed its master. It would take the next person the put on the belt: That being Magnum. But it mattered not to ZAPP. All hosts were temporary. It took so much life energy from its victims that they died usually only a week or so later . . . unless it got too deep inside. Like into the mind . . .  
  
(And so ends the chapter! Scary, huh? Masadona's in danger, and so is Magnum. Tuff could very well die soon, and think on top of all that, Mandela is wandering back to the base! He is not himself though, as you will soon see . . . review please, and tell me what you think!) 


	23. Death & Destruction: The Final Stages Be...

(I'm warning you now. If I play my cards right, and did my counting correctly, this story will be ending in 3 chapters. Or 2. Either way, it will be ending soon: and in a way most of you will predict a chapter ahead of the final paragraph, how the story is going to end. But I'm just saying, so you won't be so shocked. So here we go!)  
  
I shot up in bed. Masadona was screaming! Meta Knight was already halfway out the door. "Move!" I told myself. But I couldn't control when my speed really kicked in. For now I just ran.  
  
I got past Meta Knight and shoved past others who had gotten out of their cabins. I pushed into the infirmary, and this is what I saw: My father was standing over Masadona, who was lying on the floor completely still. A scalpel was stuck shining, halfway into her head. I didn't notice then that there was no blood.  
  
Dad turned on me, his eyes dull and lifeless. Behind them, I swear I saw movement. By instinct, the first thing I did was pick up a nearby IV stand. In my rage, I swung the hard metal rod at my father. I connected solidly with his head. I didn't know what I was doing until I heard the crack.  
  
The pole sank sideways into his skull, and he went down hard. The people behind me made noises of disgust and amazement.  
  
"Isn't that his own father?" some one said. But none of them could see Masadona. I stared down my father, who lay prone on the floor. Blood began to flow from the gash I had caused. Did I just kill my father?  
  
No. He sat up. Thin, hair-like wires bridged the gash, and pulled the skin together. The dent I'd made pushed back out. "Dad?" I cried in confusion.  
  
His grin was not his own. His hand muscle corded hands reached out for me, and a demonic, mechanical voice nothing like his own rumbled from his throat. "Come here son, and give your father a hug!" Hot tears of anger, confusion and sadness rushed down my cheeks. The creature pretending to be my dad changed pace.  
  
"You wuss! You sissy! Look at you, bawling like a baby! You'll never be strong enough to battle NME!" I stopped crying. Meta Knight's presence had filled my head. ("I don't want you to listen to him. This is your father, though not for much longer. In the short time we've been here, I've discovered the problem.") The man in front of me was beginning to froth at the mouth. The froth was pinkish. Was he bleeding inside?  
  
("Your father is being controlled by a creature called ZAPP. I read its program through your father's mind. It's growing inside of his head like a tumor, replacing his brain quickly. I'm sorry Magnum, but it's too late to save him. He has to be destroyed, or he will try to kill every one.") I understood, but I didn't want too. Meta Knight handed me his sword from behind. I took it.  
  
Dad/ZAPP took one look at the sword, and grinned wider. "Now the baby is going to fight me! Going to fight me with a little toy, baby?" It mocked. I could hear my father's tenor voice underneath the mechanical buzz.  
  
"I'm sorry, father. I really am. But this is what I must do." I set my face into a grimace. There was no turning back. I, after Meta Knight's message, had gone into my father's head. ZAPP wasn't just destroying his brain; it had completely replaced it. It had reached through his entire body with its wires, and was tearing him apart.  
  
"What do you mean, 'what you must do'?" He asked, that horrible grin plastered to his face. I made my move. He spoke again. "I think your bluffing. You'd never hurt dear old da-" He never finished that sentence. The grin dropped off his face, and a seam appeared in the middle of his head. It spread, widening the entire time, down his neck, and chest, to his feat. My father split neatly down the middle. Both halves parted from each other, and fell to opposite sides. Wires like tiny snakes writhed up from the halves, then lied still. It was dead. I didn't want to take any chances though.  
  
I raised the sword again, and let my energy flow into it. The room glowed blindingly white. I touched the tip to each of the parted slices, and let the energy out slowly. The split corpse burst into an unnatural blue flame. It then disappeared, with no fanfare or noise. My father was dead, and I had killed him.  
  
I turned about. Everyone watching, even Marthen, stared at me. I met They're stares, and forced them to look away. I walked over to Masadona, and put my hand around the knife, which had gone in directly above her right eye. "Stop Magnum, I can do it myself." I jumped back.  
  
"Hey!" I shouted. Masadona yanked out the scalpel, and shook her head. She rubbed at the cut, feeling it carefully. "This is going to be hard to fix . . ." she murmured. "Are you OK?" she asked me, seeing the look on my face.  
  
"You, But, I . . ." I jabbered. She stared at me. "Half of my head is mechanical, I told you that. He hit the radio, that's all." Meta Knight sent to me. ("We would have killed him eventually. It's only fortunate you did it now. I'll explain to the others. You get back to the room and get dressed properly. We're going to leave soon.")  
  
I clasped my cloak around my shoulders, and picked up my belt. I buckled it around my waist, and sat on my bed. A moment passed.  
  
"AAAAAAUUUUUGHHHHHHH!" I screamed. I dropped to the floor. The pain! This was far worse than when my legs were torn off. It was like fire, knives and poison: it was a throbbing, hellish pain. It started from my waist and spread out. I stared down at my midsection. My belt had cut in half from the pouch where I'd stuck the chip the day before. The warpstar was visible through the hole in the belt pouch: The chip was not. I tore at the bottom of my shirt, and managed to pull it up. Spreading across my abdomen at an alarming rate was a network of wires like vericose veins beneath my skin.  
  
("META KNIGHT!") I screamed mentally. I screamed his name over and over, both telepathically and out loud. The wires spread up my chest and across my back, again out of sight. The wires nearer my waist had sunk even deeper into me, invisible to the casual eye. But I could feel them, bonding and growing inside of me. The door to the cabin exploded in. Meta Knight gazed down at me with panicked eyes.  
  
"Magnum, NO!" he yelled. The wires spread up my neck, and I felt them piercing the back of my skull. A soothing voice came into my mind.  
  
"Don't fight, I'll make it better, let me get rid of the pain . . ." it was my mother's voice. "I'll make it all better for you Magnum." I lost myself in the pain. The last thing I heard was the voice.  
  
(Meta Knight) "Magnum! Fight it!" I reached to his mind. There was nothing there. I couldn't make contact with all of the mechanical interference. He stood up, and cast me a wry glance. "Good by, dear teacher." He said sarcastically. His eyes glowed bright, yet they seemed so lifeless. His eyes were cold. He took a step towards the door, and disappeared.  
  
(Masadona) I stepped outside. I had patched the hole in my head. I decided I didn't need to replace the radio. I gazed up, and saw a shadow looming over the top of the mountain. I took it for a cloud. It seemed to be waiting. Suddenly, I was grabbed from behind. Magnum spun me around. "Magnum?!" I cried out.  
  
He kissed me hard. I stared into his eyes. It wasn't Magnum. I gave a muffled scream. I tried to shove away, but he pushed harder. He was suffocating me!  
  
He pressed in, holding the back of my head. Just as fast as it started, it stopped. He released me and laughed. Not his laugh: It was the laugh of the cold, mechanical thing his father had become. "I'll come back for you!" He yelled. I shivered at those words, knowing they were true. He disappeared, leaving nothing but for one thing: The laughter lingered in my mind.  
  
I stared at the spot where he had stood. I turned my gaze though, when I saw the bushes moving. Mandela charged out of the brush at me, and knocked me to the ground. His once plain black eyes were rolled up into his head, showing nothing but the whites. "HELP ME!" I screamed. But no one would come.  
  
(In the cabin room, Meta Knight picked up Magnum's discarded belt. The warpstar had turned a strange, platinum color. Though it still shined, it no longer glowed. It was ice cold. Meta Knight rummaged through the other pouches. He found an old wrinkled note. It was from Claris. He read it over, and gazed out the porthole. "Which will it be then?" He whispered to himself. "The dark or the light . . . ?")  
  
(At the top of the mountain, Magnum, now ZAPP stopped. The huge shadow swung down to greet him. Its crimson eyes stared into his, and it recognized its servant. "Ah, ZAPP." NME said. "How was your test drive with your new subject's father?"  
  
"Fine, but he's dead." NME laughed. To those down at the base, it sounded like thunder. "We'll have to fix it so that you can use this body longer. It seems to have some abilities worth keeping." ZAPP chuckled and flexed his new arms. "Yes, it is a good form."  
  
"Come." Said NME. "Now that the last obstacle is gone, we can move on. It is finally time to destroy this pitiful world. If not for Kirby, I would have only conquered it. But because of his past ignorance, we shall decimate this planet." NME enveloped his new servant, and they both flew into the sky, heading towards the ruins of Cappy Town.)  
  
(How's that for a chapter ending? Things are getting strange all right. Keep on reading, and tell me whether or not YOU think I should make a sequel! You'll be begging me too anyway, when you read the last words to the last chapter. Cya later!) 


	24. The Beginning of The End for NME

(To slightly reduce confusion, this chapter will be starting from Meta Knight's point of view.)  
  
I departed from the ship as quickly as possible. I would have to hurry if I was to stop the process . . . . But I was still torn by what had just happened.  
  
Magnum had been taken by NME. So many years of work with Kirby, my help in honing his powers and giving him the key to control the fury, and now all that power had been handed over to NME in the form of ZAPP. And strangely, because ZAPP was using the body from a new angle, he wouldn't be limited in his use of it as though he was the original owner. He would be able to unlock all of Magnum's abilities. "All that power . . ." I thought again. It may be too late, and I knew it. One wrong move and goodbye Popstar . . .  
  
How would Popstar be destroyed, you ask? From my radio monitoring in private, and the reconnaissance work I'd done over the year of Magnum's training with me, I knew well that NME had a base in the old town ruins, and that the destruction would start there. NME would start and operation he called "The Black Hole."  
  
But still you wonder. Even though I am a highly revered Star Warrior, why would I go on such a vital rescue mission by myself? I knew I couldn't save Magnum on my own, it would be almost impossible to get near him. But I couldn't risk everyone else's lives in one, unlikely shot. I had to go it alone.  
  
I turned the corner into a familiar street. A poster flapped against me, barely hanging on to the old building I hid against. I read it. "Kawasaki's hot curry! Hot hot hot!" I turned away and looked down the street. The old department store down the road had been rebuilt. In its place was a towering factory. Smoke billowed up from the stacks, clouding the sky over the town. I took advantage of the darkness the smoke caused, and crept closer, hidden from view.  
  
I looked in through a blackened window. Empty. But why? I entered the building, watching for surveillance cameras and guards. I slunk around the wall, and felt why there was no one here. The outer building was a fake. These walls were hollow. I walked calmly out into the middle of the room. Even with the huge, coal burning smog machines producing the over head shadow, I was in no danger. I found a trapdoor in the floor beside one of the giant furnace-like contraptions, and pried it up.  
  
I found I was looking down into a man made cavern, in which thousands of test tubes the size of trees lined the walls and filled the room like aisles. I hopped down and fell a great expanse: then landed softly on the pads of my feet. I gazed around me. Most of the shapes contained in the gargantuan test tubes were hardly recognizable, but I could see that they were all past monsters. Splice'n'dice, Mr. Sun and Mr. Shine, Rocky, etc. . . .But they were different: bigger, stronger, and there were more of all of them. I continued wandering in this museum of horrors, and stopped. The last test tube, the biggest one, seemed highly important. what was in there?  
  
(In rooms further back . . .) NME laughed. "It's finally coming to a close. This world shall be destroyed, and with my only enemies gone, I've nothing to worry about when I leave."  
  
ZAPP laughed nervously. "But sire, this body's memory informs me that the multitude of warriors that have arrived call them selves the "Star Federation II." NME laughed all the harder. "Those fools? I've already taken care of the problem!"  
  
(At the base . . .) Masadona screamed for help again. Mandela foamed and spit, and screamed horriffically. He pinned down her shoulders, and tore into her neck with his teeth: he then turned to the ship. Masadona, thanking the heavens that Mandela had gone for her mechanical side (her head was half machine down to the chest). She wasn't seriously hurt. Mandela rushed onto the ship; screaming and bellowing like a mad creature the entire way. All of the warriors onboard the ship heard him racing up and down the corridors, and rushed to see what was going on. He ran back out side, followed by the entire crew: Tiff included. He suddenly stopped, and paused. There was silence (broken only by Mandela's pants and grunting) as everyone waited.  
  
"Mandela! What are you doing here?" Shouted Marthen. Mandela turned his rabid gaze on him, and Marthen flinched. Mandela smiled crazily. Mechanical wings tore from Mandela's back, spraying Masadona with his infected blood. The bite didn't get her, but the blood seeping into the opening the bite made did. Mandela flew high above their heads.  
  
He began to pulse, throbbing like one big, cankerous heart. Marthen was the first to figure it out. "Everyone run for cover!" he yelled. He'd seen this tactic on other worlds, in one form or another. One word easily described it: Kamikaze.  
  
The hidden machine in Mandela's chest exploded. His blood evenly sprayed everything, covering all with the new virus NME's engineers had created. It was Ebola, it was SARS, it was yellow fever, it was the black plague: but it was effective in moments, and much stronger than the diseases it had been created from. Masadona, already affected by the new plage, was lying on the ground: She was unable to breathe, and blood had begun to seep into her lungs. It didn't matter by then though: Her swollen neck couldn't take in air. But she wasn't the only one: 99% of the crew had been infected. The one survivor, who had managed to get away? Cinsta. Guided by forces he didn't understand, he ran towards the ruins.  
  
(In the containment room: Meta Knight.) I just didn't want to believe what I saw. I struggled to contain my rage. NME was creating a child. Not a clone: this was an heir in the creation. It was still just a fetus, but I recognized it right away. I searched for a data chart to get at more information. I found it, and looked it over to see the genetic mother. I seethed further. Some how, NME had gotten and egg from Claris. I read further and found the child would be male. He already had a name, too. Darkness. And if I didn't act soon, that would be what he would spread. But this was Magnum's half brother. Did it matter? I couldn't risk another, greater evil, I decided. I raised my sword.  
  
(The throne room, with NME and ZAPP.) "Sire!" a black robed soldier appeared. "We have an intruder!" NME turned to look at the large screen appearing in the wall. Meta Knight raised his sword towards his unfinished son. "YOU FOOL!" he roared. "STOP HIM!" the soldier cowered. "Yes sire!" He cried. He disappeared again. NME stood. "ZAPP!" He bellowed. "TAKE CARE OF THE INTERLOPER!" Magnum's face stretched into an evil rictus. "My pleasure!" he said, and sauntered off.  
  
(Meta Knight) I brought the blade down into the glass. It shattered, and support liquid and shards of glass sprayed into the room. The fetus kicked once, suspended by it's artificial umbilical, and was still. I heard a small noise and turned.  
  
Magnum, backed by several hundred dark soldiers, stared down at me. I felt my mind surging with energy. I was thrown into the depths of Magnum's mind, the still human part. This was the real death touch. I'd felt it before dying with Kirby, and I felt it now with my possessed student. I would die this day.  
  
I felt for my lost student, and found one, last shred of consciousness inside of him. He was trapped in a dream. He was again a child, held close by his mother. He was safe and warm in this fantasy. I felt a pang of guilt. I would have to tear him from this vision of love. I was sad for the kid, but now was not the time for sympathy.  
  
("MAGNUM!") I shouted, stirring his dream. I felt ZAPP recoil. It was then that I realized that he was like the radio Masadona possessed. He could catch psychic waves, tuned into the right frequency. I used a mind blast, and felt him weaken and recoil again.  
  
Magnum shook his head slightly, and I saw a small lump bulge out from his side. I encouraged Magnum to fight. I blasted ZAPP again. The bulge rolled out from beneath hi shirt. It was ZAPP! He was mechanical octopus: He had a golf ball sized main body, with impossibly long legs, and too many of them at that. He was helpless all alone. His black, glass-lens eyes stared up at me, filled with apathy.  
  
I destroyed him with my foot. My recovered student moaned, and he came back to reality. Magnum looked at me, ready to fight but still confused. "Where the hell am I?" he realized it was me. "Oh, sorry. I meant, 'where am I sir?" I laughed grimly. For the both of us, there wouldn't me much to laugh about for a while.  
  
"You're in the middle of a fight. And I'm going to show you how to do something I could never do, but something you can: seeing that your much more powerful." I sent him the command and instructions. He smiled with determination, and turned on the troops. They all suddenly looked terrified. Some clutched their heads in pain at the sudden, high-pitched whistling that seemed to come from no where. The whistle built up to a shriek. "PSYCHIC EXPLOSION!" Yelled Magnum, and unleashed his blast.  
  
(Cliffhanger end! I'm so evil! Keep reading to see how the story ends! ONE CHAPTER LEFT!) 


	25. The End and the Beginning

(Magnum) I unleashed the blast: but even though I knew it would be powerful, I didn't know what to expect.  
  
"SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"  
  
The whistling that had been only annoying moments before had become a shrieking, brain splitting sound. The blast radiated from my very mind, and for a moment, the very air rippled with it and my vision was distorted.  
  
Underlying the scream of the blast, a deep rumbling had filled the room. I tried close my eyes, when I realized what was about to happen: But I still saw enough to be sickened by my power.  
  
The soldier in front of me didn't get to finish his cry of pain. His head exploded, like an overfilled balloon stuffed with meat. The robed man next to me screamed as his eyes bulged out in pain, red and filled with blood. His head split crookedly down the middle. I looked back to the man in front of me. He stood headless and soaked in blood. His hands twitched and he fell to the ground.  
  
I shut my eyes as tightly as possible, and tried to ignore the cries of the dying. I finally thought to bring out the berserker, and I continued to carry the tune to the unbearably loud frequency with my dulled senses.  
  
Meta Knight had braced himself, and was unaffected. He added his own slight tune to the screaming horror of the Psychic Blast, though it was quieter and less noticeable. Never the less, it sped up the process. In minutes, every soldier was dead . . .. Their heads each torn apart  
  
(Out side of the building, Cinsta, followed by Loki [who hadn't been there when Mandela exploded] shook his head, and groaned. Because they hadn't been close enough, they hadn't received the full force of the psychic Blast. Cinsta got up, and brushed the dirt off of his legs. He had been able to stand it, as his skull was almost fully developed. The developed skull protected his mind from the bit of the blast that might have proven fatal to him. But Loki, still a puppy, had been totally exposed. And because his animal mind [even though it was somewhat intelligent] was still weak compared to that of an adult hybrid, he'd been hit much worse. He whimpered weakly, and kicked his back legs. It was his last movement)  
  
(Magnum) I opened my eyes again. The room seemed to be painted red. I turned around to see that Meta Knight was looking at me, his eyes filled with awe and pride. "Magnum, come here." He told me. I stepped closer.  
  
"I'm afraid that you won't be seeing me again after today, and so I'm going to give you this back." Meta Knight handed me the Warpstar. He stared at it strangely, and I got a snip of what he was thinking.  
  
("-it changed back to its normal color?") I took it in my hand. It was glowing and pulsing madly. It felt absolutely alive.  
  
"What do you mean?" I asked him. He smiled sadly. "You know what I mean." I had a sudden vision of Kirby's death. "NO!" I shouted. He smiled wider, but his eyes were still and cold. "You have to move on Magnum. YOU were chosen to stop NME. You're the one for the job now. I'm not even supposed to be alive! My life was meant to end long ago. Even as I stand here, I disrupt the balance of life and death in the universe. But you are still young, with many years to go, and you have to live."  
  
I grabbed his arm. "I won't let you die! I've lost too many!" Meta Knight scowled. "Magnum!" His sharp tone caused me to look away, dropping my grip on his arm. "Are you selfish enough to risk the entire Universe, over ME?" He scolded angrily. "You have to fight, and forget me! Leave me to my own work. I have enough to do here as it is!" I understood now, though I didn't want to.  
  
I started to walk away, but stopped. "What am I supposed to do with this?" I asked, and held up the warpstar. Meta Knight nodded to me to continue on.  
  
"You'll figure it out when you need to. Now GO!" I broke into a run, with tears filling my eyes, as Meta Knight turned to a large control panel. That tear blurred vision was the last time I ever saw my teacher. it would be the last time anyone saw him alive.  
  
I found myself wandering about heatedly in the strange building. It felt as though I'd been here for a while, but ZAPP had been in complete control the entire time. I had no idea where I was going. Luckily though, I found where I was headed. Subconsciously, I'd hid the warpstar again. I entered the room. On a giant steel throne, sat NME. He smiled down on me through a black halo of dark light. The smile sent shivers through me.  
  
"I expect that you took care of the intruder?" He asked, throwing back his horns. I thought back to my doomed teacher. "Yes." I replied steadfast. "I finished him easily."  
  
He looked at me oddly. "I heard a strange, whistling noise earlier. Was that you?" I thought of what to say. "Yes, sire. I was experimenting with an attack using this body."  
  
"Very good." He said. He gestured to a chair at his right hand side. "Come, sit. I want you to watch this." I tried not to shake with anger (and fear) as I walked towards the seat. I sat down, fingering the oddly shaped sword at my side. Where had it come from? I supposed NME had given it to ZAPP at some point. NME lifted a hand and pointed to the wall across from us. A giant screen appeared, and revealed a giant Machine in space. It looked like a giant metal ball.  
  
(Death star, or what? I'll stop ruining the scene now . . .)  
  
"That is the Black Hole device." He chuckled to me. "On the inside, is a compressed, dying star. My scientists have been controlling the rate at which it's been depleting its thermonuclear fuel, but I'm about to activate it."  
  
I stared up at him. "What will happen when all of its fuel is gone?" I asked. He looked at me strangely. "I thought you'd know . . . but anyway, the star's core will collapse, creating a black hole: a point in space with such a powerful gravitational pull, that not even light can escape. It is the ultimate darkness."  
  
I sucked in my breath. Popstar would be destroyed! NME shifted on his throne. "Here," he said laughingly, and pulled out a remote. "This is the activation device. It will drain the star, and cause it to collapse. I've always wanted to destroy this planet ever since Kirby showed up, but to see a former student of one of my most 'annoying' enemies do it would be ever so . . . pleasurable."  
  
He handed me the remote control. I stared at the key to an entire planet's death. It lay cold in my hands. I knew what I had to do.  
  
(Back in the storage room . . ..) I had found the main controls. Every single support tube in here was hooked up to this one panel. I found the main temperature setting, and decided cold would be easiest to kill these beasts in their vulnerable state. I put my hand on the button.  
  
"AAHHH!" I cried out. My hands went to my head, as one of my first memories came back into my head. I was opening my eyes inside of a support tube, and seeing my creators.  
  
I shook my head. "I changed!" I told myself. But the nagging feeling that had been inside of me for centuries came back. I was once a monster. Would I not be killing my brethren? I put my hands back on the controls, and noticed something I'd not seen before. "Self destruct" It said. I opened the digital file.  
  
Not only was easy enough to activate, but it would leave no chance for survival. Everything near by would be killed . . . every thing in this room, that is. The only other thing that would be destroyed would be the main control room. That meant disabling the "Black Hole" project permanently.  
  
I placed my hand on the controls as I began to recite the star warrior's pledge, and began the destruction sequence. I would have to stay to make sure no one deactivated it.  
  
"The hopes and dreams of the weak are to be protected by the strong. I pledge my loyalty to my fellow Star Warriors . . ." The machine counted down. 20 . . . 19 . . .  
  
NME waited. I held up the remote. "The big red one?" I asked, pointing to a button. He nodded eagerly. "What are you waiting for ZAPP? Push it!" I lowered the remote, but only a little. I had to make sure that I didn't hit that one button.  
  
I threw down the remote, and it smashed surprisingly easy. "YOU FOOL!" Bellowed NME. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" I looked up into his angry, burning eyes, and the faces of my lost friends and family flashed in front of me. Kirby as he breathed his last . . . Mother screaming my name as she was killed . . . all of my friends worked to death as slaves . . . Dad chained to a tree as a scientist approached with a micro chip . . . and for some strange reason, I knew that in moments, the long list would include Meta Knight. All because of this one evil.  
  
I drew out the warpstar, and placed it on the floor: completely guided by instinct. It stretched out to suit my size and weight, and I stepped aboard. Never had I felt such power. This was much better than the fury and my speed combined. The warpstar, steered by my every thought, lifted off the floor. NME's eyes filled with what was obviously an unfamiliar emotion to him: Fear. And I loved the look of it.  
  
NME shouted out to no one. "Activate the Black Hole project!" a voice over the loud speakers quickly replied. "Some one's activated the destruction sequence! We can't stop it, even from here! He's blocked us out! WE'RE GONNA DIE!" I could hear people screaming in the background, both prayers and curses. NME roared out in anger.  
  
"You! You did this!" He cried. I, now much higher than even his lofty head, stared down malevolently. It was time.  
  
(Meta Knight) I finished the pledge, just as the count down finished. ". . . Forever I will fight, forever for the freedom and safety of my friends, and those who need me. So has been our rule." ". .1." Said the mechanical voice. "Count down is complete." And then, the finishing touch that seemed totally needless, "Have a nice day."  
  
I sighed, and didn't even bother to move as the white-hot blast erupted from the middle of the room. My last thought before being hit by the explosion was "Godspeed, Magnum Good luck."  
  
(Magnum) An explosion rocked the building. NME turned for a moment towards the sound, distracted and distraught. It was then that I attacked. "This is for the lives you've cost, you bastard!" I shouted, and soared to meet him. My sword came slicing down, pumped full of energy.  
  
(The end. Don't like it? Too bad. If you want to find out what happens, read the upcoming sequel, "The Later Ages: The Second Coming." Godspeed indeed.  
  
Also: Thank you, National Geographic, for the info on black holes. The star warrior's pledge was taken from my other story: "the Meta Journey Saga." This is under the name "KirbsterMK." Thank you Kirbster, for helping me with my first story on this site.) 


End file.
